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The sun rising over the Paraná River, from the north-east of Rosario, Argentina.
The sun rising over the Paraná River, from the north-east of Rosario, Argentina.

This article is about the second-longest river in South America: For the shorter river in Goiás, central Brazil, see Paranã River

The Paraná River (Río Paraná in Spanish, Rio Paraná in Portuguese) is a river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina over a course of some 2,570 kilometers (1,600 miles). Goiás (goˈjajs is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country This article refers to the river in Goiás, central Brazil: for the longer river of southern Brazil Argentina and Paraguay, see Paraná Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. This length increases to 3,998 km (2,484 miles) if the distance is counted from the headwaters of the Paranaiba River in Brazil. The Paranaíba River is a Brazilian river whose source lies in the state of Minas Gerais in the Mata da Corda mountains municipality of Rio Paranaíba at an altitude of 1148 It is considered second in size only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The Amazon River (Rio Amazonas Río Amazonas of South America is the largest river in the world by volume with a total river flow greater than the next top ten largest rivers The name Paraná comes from the Tupi language and means "like the sea" (that is, "as big as the sea").

Contents

Course

The Paraná River is formed at the confluence of the Paranaiba and Grande rivers in southern Brazil. Confluence, in Geography, describes the meeting of two or more Bodies of water. The Paranaíba River is a Brazilian river whose source lies in the state of Minas Gerais in the Mata da Corda mountains municipality of Rio Paranaíba at an altitude of 1148 The Grande River ( Rio Grande in Portuguese is in south-central Brazil From the confluence the river flows in a generally southwestern direction for about 619 km (385 miles) before encountering the city of Saltos del Guaira, Paraguay. This was once the location of the Sete Quedas waterfall, where the Paraná fell over a series of seven cascades. Sete Quedas is a Municipality located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water often in the form of a Stream, flowing over an Erosion -resistant rock This natural feature was said to rival the world famous Iguazu Falls to the south. Iguazu Falls, Iguassu Falls, or Iguaçu Falls ( Portuguese: Cataratas do Iguaçu kataˈɾatɐz du igwaˈsu Spanish: Cataratas The falls were flooded, however, by the construction of the Itaipu dam, which began operating in 1984. Itaipu ( Guarani: Itaipu, Portuguese: Itaipu, Spanish: Itaipú; itaiˈpu is a hydroelectric dam on Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar)

For the next approximately 190 km (125 miles) the Parana flows southward and forms a natural boundary between Paraguay and Brazil until the confluence with the Iguazu River. The Iguazu River ( Portuguese: Rio Iguaçu, Spanish: Río Iguazú) has its source in the Serra do Mar (Mountains by the Sea in Shortly upstream from this confluence, however, the river is dammed by the impressive Itaipu dam, the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, and creating a massive, shallow reservoir behind it. Itaipu ( Guarani: Itaipu, Portuguese: Itaipu, Spanish: Itaipú; itaiˈpu is a hydroelectric dam on Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use

Overlooking the Paraná River from Encarnación, Paraguay. Across the river is downtown Posadas, Argentina.
Overlooking the Paraná River from Encarnación, Paraguay. Across the river is downtown Posadas, Argentina.

After merging with the Iguazu, the Paraná then becomes the natural border between Paraguay and Argentina. The river continues its general southward course for about 468 km (291 miles) before making a gradual turn to the west for another 820 km (510 miles), and then encounters the Paraguay River, the largest tributary along the course of the river. The Paraguay River ( Río Paraguay in Spanish, Rio Paraguai in Portuguese) is a major River in south central South America A tributary is a Stream or River which flows into a mainstem (or parent river Before this confluence the river passes through a second major hydroelectric project, the Yaciretá dam, a joint project between Paraguay and Argentina. The Hydroelectric Power Station Jasyretâ-Apipé (from Guaraní language jasy retâ that means “country of the Moon ” is the Hydroelectric central built over the waterfalls The massive reservoir formed by the project has been the source of a number of problems for people living along the river, most notably the poorer merchants and residents in the low lying areas of Encarnación, a major city on the southern border of Paraguay. Encarnación is a city in southeastern Paraguay. It is situated 235 miles south-east of the capital Asunción on the Paraná River, opposite the Argentine River levels rose dramatically upon completion of the dam, flooding out large sections of the cities lower areas.

From the confluence with the Paraguay River, the Paraná again turns to the south for another approximately 820 km (510 miles) through Argentina, making a slow turn back to the east near the city of Rosario for the final stretch of less than 500 km (310 miles) before merging with the Uruguay River to form the Río de la Plata and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. The Uruguay River (in Spanish, Río Uruguay, uɾuˈɣwaj in Portuguese, Rio Uruguai,) is a River in South The Río de la Plata ( Spanish: " Silver River" &mdash which is often referred to in English-speaking countries as the River Plate During the part of its course, downstream from the city of Diamante, Entre Ríos, it splits into several arms and forms the Paraná Delta, a long flood plain which reaches up to 60 km in width. Diamante is a city in the west of the province of Entre Ríos, Argentina, on the eastern shore of the Paraná River. The Paraná Delta is the delta of the Paraná River in Argentina. ||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A floodplain, or flood plain, is flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a Stream or River that experiences occasional or periodic

Uses

The Rio Paraná along with its tributaries creates a massive watershed that spreads throughout much of the south central part of the continent, essentially encompassing all of Paraguay, much of southern Brazil, northern Argentina, and even reaching into Bolivia. A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. If the Uruguay River is counted as a tributary to the Paraná, this watershed extends to cover much of Uruguay as well. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America The volume of water flowing into the Atlantic Ocean through the Río de la Plata is roughly equal to the volume at the Mississippi River delta. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to A delta is a Landform where the mouth of a River flows into an Ocean, Sea, Estuary, Lake or another river This watershed services a number of large cities, including São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Asunción and Brasília. São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern Asunción (full name Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción) population 1212112 (2002 is the Capital and largest city of Paraguay. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau

Container Ship, traveling downstream by the city of Ramallo, Argentina.
Container Ship, traveling downstream by the city of Ramallo, Argentina.

The Paraná and its tributaries are a source of income and even daily sustenance for a number of fishermen who live along its banks; some fish species (such as the surubí and the sábalo) are commercially important and exploited for massive internal consumption or for export. Pseudoplatystoma is a Genus of several South American Catfish species of family Pimelodidae. Prochilodus lineatus (synonym P platensis) is a South American species of Ray-finned fish that inhabits the basin of the Paraná River In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion

Much of the length of the Paraná is navigable and is used as an important waterway linking inland cities in Argentina and Paraguay to the ocean, providing deep water ports in many of these cities. The construction of massive hydroelectric dams along the river's length has blocked its use as a shipping corridor to cities further upstream, but the economic impact of those dams is considered to offset this. The Yacyretá and Itaipú dams on the Paraguay border have made the small, largely undeveloped nation the world's largest exporter of hydroelectric power. Itaipu ( Guarani: Itaipu, Portuguese: Itaipu, Spanish: Itaipú; itaiˈpu is a hydroelectric dam on

Links across the Paraná

The Friendship Bridge links Ciudad del Este, (Paraguay) and Foz do Iguaçu, (Brazil). The Friendship Bridge ( Portuguese: Ponte da Amizade, Spanish: Puente de la Amistad) is an arch Bridge connecting the Brazilian Ciudad del Este (Spanish for City of the East is the capital of Alto Paraná department of Paraguay, located at the Rio Paraná at. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Foz do Iguaçu (fɔs do igwa'su is the 4th largest city of Paraná state Brazil and the 11th largest of the Brazil's Southern region, with a population |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

The Argentine course of the Paraná is crossed by the following bridges, beginning upstream:

Additionally, a bridge between Reconquista, Santa Fe and Goya, Corrientes is under study. Reconquista is a city in the north of the, from the provincial capital. Goya is a city in the south-east of the province of Corrientes in the Argentine Mesopotamia. Also, as recent as 1998 there were joint studies carried out by the governments of Uruguay and Argentina for the construction of a bridge between the two countries over the Río de La Plata estuary, the exact location was not decided. The Río de la Plata ( Spanish: " Silver River" &mdash which is often referred to in English-speaking countries as the River Plate

External links

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