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Native name: Ilha do Bananal | |
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 Landsat image of the northern end of Bananal Island (the Rio das Mortes-Cristalino peninsula) on the Araguaia River | |
  Bananal Location in Brazil | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Tocantins,Brazil |
| Coordinates | 11°20′S50°41′W / 11.333°S 50.683°W /-11.333; -50.683 |
| Area | 19,162.25 km2 (7,398.59 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 49th |
| Administration | |
Brazil | |
| State | Tocantins |
| Official name | Ilha do Bananal |
| Designated | 4 October 1993 |
| Reference no. | 624[1] |
Bananal Island (Portuguese:Ilha do Bananal,IPA:[banaˈnaw]) is a largeriver island formed from the bisection of theAraguaia River, in southwesternTocantins,Brazil. The island is formed by a fork in a very flat section of the Araguaia; the western stream of the fork retains the name Araguaia and the eastern one is called theJavaés River. By reuniting later, both streams form Bananal Island, which is the second largest river island in the world and the largest without an ocean coastline, at 350 kilometres (220 mi) long and 55 kilometres (34 mi) wide.[2] Its total area is 19,162.25 square kilometres (7,398.59 sq mi).[3] The Jaburu do Bananal is the largest of several rivers flowing within the island, parallel to the Araguaia.
Bananal Island is a nature and culture preserve. In accordance with Article 28 of the Statute of Indian Law (Artigo 28 do Estatuto do Indío-lei) No. 6001 laid out on 19 December 1973, an area of 5,577.26 square kilometres (2,153.39 sq mi) is preserved asAraguaia National Park and further 13,584.99 square kilometres (5,245.19 sq mi) as cultural preserve forBrazilian Indigenous. The northern third of the island, which is designated as a national park, is a popular destination forecotourism. The southern two-thirds areindigenous territories.
Although Brazilians of non-native descent lived on the island in the past, today the entire population is indigenous.
At least four tribes live on Bananal Island: the Javaés,Karajá, Ava-Canoeiro, and Tuxá. There are sixteenaldeias or villages on the island: Barra do Rio, Barreira Branca,Boa Esperança, Boto Velho,Cachoeirinha, Fontoura,JK, Kanoanã, Kaxiwe, Macaúba,Santa Isabel,São João, Txoude, Txuiri, Wari-Wari, Watau.
There are no bridges to the island from the states of Tocantins to the east nor fromMato Grosso to the west. For the greater majority of the year, the only transport to the island is by boat. However, for a few weeks during the dry season (June – August) the river is low enough that it can beforded and the island can be reached by car. The villages have roads wide enough for cars and tractors, but most travellers walk or ride horses or bicycles.
From north to south, the island forms the western portions of themunicipalities ofPium,Lagoa da Confusão, andFormoso do Araguaia, in southwestern Tocantins.
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