Luque

Luque, city, southern Paraguay. Founded in 1635, Luque rose to prominence as the temporary national capital during the bloody Paraguayan War (1864–70) with Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Oranges, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, and livestock produced in the area supply the markets of nearby Asunción, to which it is accessible by railroad and highway. Factories in Luque manufacture guitars and harps. Luque also contains soap factories, distilleries, tile and brick factories, and processing plants. Pop. (2002) urban area, 170,986.