Misiones is one of the seventeen departments that, together with Asunción, Distrito Capital, form the Republic of Paraguay. Its capital is San Juan Bautista, considered cradle of the missionary culture. It is located to the south center of the eastern region of the country, bordering on the north with Paraguarí, on the east with Caazapá and Itapúa, on the south with the Paraná river that separates it from Argentina, and on the west with Ñeembucú. With 123 442 habs.
In 2017 it is the fifth least populated department - ahead of Presidente Hayes, Ñeembucú, Boquerón and Alto Paraguay, the least populated - and with 12.9 inhabitants / km² it is the seventh least densely populated, ahead of Concepción, Amambay, Ñeembucú, Presidente Hayes, Boquerón and Alto Paraguay, the least densely populated. Previously the department had the name of San Ignacio, being the capital the city of the same name. This entire department is marked by the presence of the old Jesuit missions that had their center in this area, hence its name. In many of its cities there are museums with sacred jesuitic art.