Paraguay, landlocked in South America, is mostly flat with eastern hills from the Paraná Plateau. The highest point, Cerro Pero (842 m), lies in the Cordillera de Amambay, with sandstone escarpments up to 300 m from Cretaceous formations 100 million years old. The Ybycuí Mountains in the center reach 600 m, featuring iron ore deposits and Atlantic Forest remnants covering 20% of the east. The Paraguay River (2,549 km) bisects the country, creating the Gran Chaco plains at 200 m in the west—arid thorn scrub. Formed by Andean uplift and Paraná sedimentation, these low ranges host Ñeembucú wetlands (7,000 km²). San Rafael Reserve preserves 67,000 km² of Atlantic Forest with jaguars and 400 bird species.
