Prelims ask
Brazilian source, south, Río de la Plata, Itaipu, Iguazu, Pantanal.
South America
Paraná–Paraguay
A top-ten textbook system when the estuary is included. Do not call it an Andean river.
- Source
- Paraná: confluence of the Paranaíba and Grande on the Brazilian highlands. Paraguay: Mato Grosso plateau.
- Countries
- Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina. Bolivia is in the Paraguay basin. Uruguay meets the system at the Río de la Plata.
- Direction
- South.
- Mouth
- Río de la Plata estuary, Atlantic Ocean.
- Length
- About 4,880 km for the Paraná system as usually printed.
- Major tributaries
- Paraguay, Iguazu, Pilcomayo, Bermejo. The Uruguay joins at the estuary.
- Delta or estuary
- Estuary (Río de la Plata), not a simple delta.
- Basin
- Iguazu Falls are on the Iguazu. Itaipu is on the Paraná. The Pantanal is in the Paraguay basin.
- One exam fact
- The trunk rises on the Brazilian shield. Andean water arrives only by tributaries such as the Pilcomayo.
Mains use
Plate-interior rivers can be longer than the short Pacific streams of the Andes.