South America – Page 16

Who says Paraguay is a small country?

Dear Reader, I’m not sure why my blog titles lately have been exclamatory or rhetorical–I must be asking a lot of questions. Actually, I’ve had a habit lately of finding instant answers to questions that pop into my head. For example, today I wondered what the suffix "-stan" means. I don’t mean the name "Stan," ala the dude featured in the tragic Eminem song. I mean the suffix attached to scores of countries and provinces ranging from Pakistan to Kurdistan. I went online tonight and found out that "-stan" is an old Persian root referring to "the place where one stays." Interestingly, modern Persia is named Iran, not Iranstan or Irstan or Perstan. How many "stans" can you name? How about Tajikistan, or Kyrgyzstan? Or Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan (of Borat fame), Hindustan, Kurdistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Dagestan, or Waziristan? Yes, those are real places. Can you find all of them on a map? If you know a "-stan" I missed, please feel free to post a comment. It would be fun to be feature the ultimate collection of "-stans" from around the world.

I digress. Yes, the Internet is a wonderful information resource, but it doesn’t have the answer to everything. Today I found a map in a musty book on Paraguay (what else?) that depicts what I’ve heard time and again–that Paraguay is about the size of California. The book has a map showing Paraguay superimposed over California. Sure enough, it is about 1/8th smaller than California by land mass. Paraguay, with a population of about 5.7 million, has a far smaller population than California, but it is by no means small. It just seems small because it is wedged between Brazil and Argentina, two countries that are far larger in both size and population. Some call Paraguay a "buffer" state between those rival nations. Perhaps. Imagine if Texas were still independent (Texas was an independent nation during 1836-1845, a fact Texans will proudly tell you). If it were, Texas would surely be a buffer state between the United States of America and the United States of Mexico (some would argue that it in fact a buffer state). Calling Texas a buffer state though would diminish its stature as an large country. The same goes for Paraguay.

I posted the map of Paraguay superimposed over California for your viewing pleasure. Now it’s available on the Internet. Just one more trivial fact that you might enjoy.

Have a Rest, Sr. Presidente Chávez

Happy International Worker’s Day (May Day). I took the day off from blogging in honor of the national day dedicated to workers worldwide. Are you a worker too, Dear Reader? Well then, why are you reading this blog? It’s too much work. Go on, relax and have some fun for a change. You deserve it.

On the same day Venezuela officially nationalized its oil industry, Venezuela President Hugo Chávez announced that the country would raise its minimum wage by 20% and will work to decrease the standard work week from 44 to 36 by 2010. I wonder what these changes will do to Venezuela’s annual inflation rate, which currently stands at about 16%? Or its productivity rate, which has decreased annually by about 2.2% during the Chávez years? What do I know? I don’t have a degree in military arts and science from the Venezuela Academy of Military Sciences, and I didn’t drop out of Simón Bolivar University while I was doing my master’s degree in political science. I’m sure that everything will be just fine as Venezuela moves closer to becoming a worker’s paradise. Mmm, OK, whatever. Check back in about ten years.

Sr. Presidente Chávez, go on, take a break. Give it a rest.

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Your very own cattle ranch

I searched for photos of the Paraguayan countryside, and I came upon this most unusual advertisement. An aged farmer in Paraguay wants to sell his 28,247 acre cattle ranch affectionately known as "Estancia El Dorado." The ranch is about 44 square miles, with one square mile equal to about 640 acres.

http://www.alphapix.com/estanciaforsale.html

Sooner or later this ad will be taken offline after a buyer has been found, so here is the original ad:

Estancia El Dorado in Paraguay is for sale by owner

Estancia Eldorado is a 15 year old private farming property in Paraguay.
At first, a challenge set by a French Legendary Pilot to start a cattle farm, this Estancia continues today
to work it’s great potencial and has rightfully become one of the biggest farms in this region.
Unfortunately, it’s owner is now retiring and this property is for sale.

Estancia area details:
• Total surface: 11,436 hectares (28,247 Acres).
• Workable pasture area and potreros divisions:
– 32 parcs of 150 Has: 4,800 has.
– 19 parcs of 75 Has : 1,425 has.
– 01 parc of 55 Has : 55 has.
– 01 parc of 100 Has : 100 has.
Total : 6,380 has

NB: 400 of the 6,380 has of pasture are ready for agricultural activity. A further 3,000 need very little work and investment to reach this state.
• Standard fencing, 1 post every 6m
with 4 smooth steel wires over 130Kilometers.
• Electrified fences: 1 post every 50 meters.et 1 fil de fer lisse: 20 kilometers.
• Gates for parc accesses:
There are 50 – 4m wide wooden gates on the property.
They are all made from quality solid wood.

NB : 100 % of fences are in perfect condition.

Water capacities and supply:
• 3 X 160m deep semi-artesian wells.
• 3 X 15m high, 35.000 l. capacity water towers.
• 7 X 35,000 l. water tanks.
• 10 X 13,000 l. water tanks.
• 20 km of 1.5 to 2 in. diameter high pressure pipes Current Livestock count:
1,700- full adult cows.
400 cows under 16 months old.
700 -female calves
700 -male calves
52 -bulls
Total: 3.552 heads

For more information, please fill in this short form. Thank you
Pour plus d’informations, veuillez remplir ce court questionnaire. Merci!
Para recibir mas informaciones mándenos estas informaciones. ¡Gracias!

So, how much would you pay to own your very own cattle ranch? Well, the ad doesn’t say, so I guessimated the price. A 49-acre ranch for sale in Paraguay is now on the market for just 500,000 euros, or 10,204 euros per acre (http://www.viviun.com/Real_Estate/Paraguay/). At the current exchange rate, the price would be $13,931 per acre. Assuming that the price per acre doesn’t fluctuate significantly and not taking into account the cattle and other fixtures on the property, the purchase price of Estancia El Dorado would is about $393,508,957. Realistically, though, you might be able to buy the ranch at a slight discount for $300-$350 million. Or maybe the owner is desperate to sell and would settle for $250 million. I don’t have that kind of money. Do you? One silver lining–$600,000 will buy you a 50 acre ranch in rural Paraguay. Not a bad deal at all. If you could make a living from it.