Immigration to Paraguay to the 2002 census, 84,2% of immigrants in Paraguay come from Brazil and Argentina. The first Europeans to arrive in what is now Paraguayan territory were Spaniards who left a palpable cultural heritage even today. The government of Carlos Antonio López was marked by a period of international openness including immigration and attracting settlers to populate the country. Geographically, Paraguay can be divided into two parts: The Chaco or Western Region, and the Eastern Region, where Asunción is located, as well as the other main cities of the country. The Chaco is the largest region by area with about 60%
Geography of Paraguay Paraná; the mountain chain has an average height of . Separated from the Eastern region by the Paraguay River, the Chaco region is a vast plain with elevations reaching no higher than and averaging . Covering more than 60 percent of Paraguay's total land area, the Chaco plain slopes gently eastward to the Río Paraguay. The Paraguayan Chaco is subdivided into two parts. The "Alto Chaco" (Upper Chaco), also called "Chaco Seco" (Dry Chaco) is the western three-quarters of the region, bordering on Bolivia, while the "Bajo Chaco" (Lower Chaco) or "Chaco Húmedo" (Humid Chaco) borders on the Paraguay River.