TheParaná River (Portuguese:Rio Paraná[ˈʁi.upaɾaˈna]ⓘ; Spanish:Río Paraná[ˈri.opaɾaˈna]ⓘ;Guarani:Ysyry Parana) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some 4,880 kilometres (3,030 mi).[5] Among South American rivers, it is second in length only to theAmazon River. It merges with theParaguay River and then farther downstream with theUruguay River to form theRío de la Plata and empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
The first European to go up the Paraná River was the Venetian explorerSebastian Cabot, in 1526, while working for Spain.
A drought hit the river in 2021, causing a 77-year low.[10][11]
In eastern South America there is "an immense number of river names containing the elementpara- orparana-", fromGuarani language words meaning "river" or "sea"; attempts to derive a more precise meaning for the name of this, the largest of them, e.g. "kin of the sea", have been discounted.[12]
The course is formed at the confluence of theParanaiba andRio Grande rivers in southern Brazil. From the confluence the river flows in a generally southwestern direction for about 619 km (385 mi) before encountering the city ofSaltos del Guaira, Paraguay. This was once the location of theGuaíra Falls (Sete Quedas waterfalls, where the Paraná fell over a series of seven cascades. This natural feature was said to rival the world-famousIguazu Falls to the south. The falls were flooded, however, by the construction of theItaipu Dam, which began operating in 1984.For approximately the next 200 km (120 mi), the Paraná flows southward and forms a natural boundary between Paraguay and Brazil until the confluence with theIguazu River. Further upstream from this confluence, however, the river is dammed by the Itaipu Dam, the third largesthydroelectric power plant in the world (following theThree Gorges Dam and theBaihetan Dam, both in thePeople's Republic of China), creating a massive, shallow reservoir behind it.
After merging with the Iguazu, the Paraná becomes the natural border between Paraguay and Argentina. Overlooking the Paraná River fromEncarnación, Paraguay, across the river, is downtown Posadas, Argentina. The river continues its general southward course for about 468 km (291 mi) before making a gradual turn to the west for another 820 km (510 mi), and then encounters theParaguay River, the largest tributary along the course of the river. Before this confluence, the river passes through a second major hydroelectric project, theYacyretá Dam, a joint project between Paraguay and Argentina. 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. River levels rose dramatically upon completion of the dam, flooding out large sections of the city's lower areas.
From the confluence with the Paraguay River, the Paraná again turns to the south for another approximately 820 km (510 mi) through Argentina, making a slow turn back to the east near the city ofRosario for the final stretch of less than 500 km (310 mi) before merging with theUruguay River to form theRío de la Plata. This flows into theAtlantic Ocean. During the part of its course downstream from the city ofDiamante, Entre Ríos, it splits into several arms and it forms theParaná Delta.
Together with its tributaries, the Rio Paraná forms a massivedrainage basin that encompasses much of the southcentral part of South America, essentially including all of Paraguay, much of southern Brazil, northern Argentina, and the southeastern part ofBolivia. If theUruguay River is counted as a tributary to the Paraná, this watershed extends to cover most ofUruguay as well. The volume of water flowing into the Atlantic Ocean through the Río de la Plata roughly equals the volume at theMississippi Riverdelta. This watershed contains a number of large cities, includingSão Paulo,Buenos Aires,Rosario,Asunción,Brasília, andLa Plata.
The Paraná and its tributaries provide a source of income and of daily sustenance for fishermen who live along its banks. Some of the species of fish (such as thesurubí and thesábalo) are commercially important, and they are exploited for heavy internal consumption or for export. The Parana River delta ranks as one of the world's greatest bird-watching destinations.[14]
Much of the length of the Paraná isnavigable, as part of theParaná–Paraguay Waterway and theTietê–Paraná Waterway [es;pt].[15][16] The river serves as an important waterway linking inland cities in Argentina and Paraguay with the ocean, providing deepwater ports in some of these cities. The construction of enormous 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 offsets this. TheYacyretá Dam and theItaipu Dam on the Paraguay border have made the small, largely undeveloped nation of Paraguay the world's largest exporter ofhydroelectric power.
Due to its use for oceangoing ships, measurements of the water tables extend back to 1904. The data correlates with the Sun'ssolar cycle.[17][18]
Confluence of the Iguazu and Parana rivers. The Triple frontier is a bit further in the background center: On the left is Paraguay, on the right Brazil, taken from Argentina.
^Iriondo, Martín H., Juan César Paggi, and María Julieta Parma, eds. The Middle Paraná River: Limnology of a subtropical wetland. Chapter "Birds." Springer Science & Business Media, 2007.
.jpg)
