Iguazu River

Rio Iguaçu

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Iguaçu ( Portuguese spelling, Iguazú in Spanish ) is an approximately 1320 km long river in South America. Its lower reaches of the famous Iguazu Falls is part of two national parks, and since 1984 ( National Park Iguazú, Argentina) and 1986 ( Iguaçu National Park, Brazil ) is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Its name derives from the Guaraní word Yguazú "big water " her.

Course

The entire course of the river Iguaçu runs or on the edge of the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is formed by the confluence of the Iraí with the atuba in the district Cajuru of Curitiba, on the highway BR- 277th In Porto União which forms the border with the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina and flows from there to the west by the state of Paraná. During the last few miles to its confluence with the Rio Paraná he river forms the border between Brazil and the Argentine province of Misiones.

Near the confluence with the Paraná are on the Brazilian side of the city of Foz do Iguaçu and on the Argentine side the city of Puerto Iguazú. The two cities are connected by a bridge that spans the river. The river is considered the dead river, because the bones of the dead were thrown similar to the Ganges in height of the falls in the river and in the " Devil's Throat " the eyes of the survivors / the mourners vanished.

Waterfalls

The river is known by the Iguazu Falls, a few kilometers from the mouth upstream. You are the width according to the largest waterfalls in the world; Victoria Falls are higher, but narrower; However, their precipitous edge is uninterrupted. About three-quarters of the cases is on Argentine territory, from where one would usually access to the so-called " Devil's Throat ", Spanish: Garganta del Diablo is. Turn out onto the overall width of the cases of about 2,700 m on average 1,700 m³ / s, after prolonged rainfall up to 7,000 m³ / s, in two stages up to 75 m down. In November 2005, it was after heavy rains as 12,000 m³ / s

According to one Álvar Núñez Cabeza de plaque Vaca discovered in 1542, this " beauty of nature". Eleanor Roosevelt is said to have uttered only two words "Poor Niagara! " At the sight of these cases. Depending on the design, this can be translated as "poor Niagara Falls " or " poor / miserable Niagara Falls ".