The Paraná River is a river in South America. It is born from the confluence of two Brazilian rivers: the Grande and Paranaíba, at approximately 20° South and 51° West. From its beginning it has a width of more than 1 km. Together with the Paranaíba as the source farthest from its mouth, the Paraná has a total length of 3,998 km.

Going downstream from the confluence of the Grande and Paranaíba rivers, the Paraná flows through Brazilian territory in a general southeastern direction for about 619 km to the Saltos de Guaira/Sete Quedas waterfall (flooded after the construction of the Itaipu dam). From this point, the river turns south, forming the border between Brazil and Paraguay for a length of 190 km to the mouth of the Iguaçu River, and from this point becomes the border between Argentina and Paraguay.

In the area of the Apipé River, about 468 km downstream from the Iguaçu river, the Paraná begins flowing in a westerly direction, flows through the Yaciretá dam, until the confluence with the River Paraguay. After merging with the Paraguay, the river moves from the border into Argentina, where, in a generally southern orientation, it travels more than 820 km to a little below the city of Rosario, where it flows into the River Plate.

Left tributaries (from source to mouth): Grande, Tietê, Paranapanema, Ivaí, Iguaçu. Right tributaries: Paraguay, Northern Salado.

The length of the Paraná River without the Paranaíba is 2,739 km, of which 1,240 km are in Argentina, 619 km in Brazil, and 880 km forming the border of the Republic of Paraguay with Argentina or Brazil.

Of the point of view of the sailing and taking into account the main characteristics of the space of the river Paraná in the Brazilian territory can mention the calm aspect of course of plain water: soft curves, bed very stable, big and numerous islands and banks of sand. It is crossed by some basaltic dashes, running even so the bed, in general, on sand and recent deposits. The margins are low, with little soft hills.

The maximum variations of the level of water empty space of 3m in Guaíba for 11m in Jupiá, and on the average they reach, annually, 2 and 6m, respectively, in the mentioned places.

Of the point of view of the sailing and taking into account the different characteristics, of the bed, it can divide the river Paraná in five spaces, of the which only the space of High Paraná - of Guaíra to the fork of the Grande River and Paranaiba, with 619 Km of extension in Brazilian territory.

The main geographical limits of the basin of High Paraná are: to the north the basins of Tocantins/Araguaia and San Francisco; to east, massive Brazilian Litoranean (it Saws of the Sea), to the south of the basin of the river Iguaçu, flowing of Medium Paraná and to west the basin of the river Paraguay.

The whole high Paraná presents similar morphologic characteristics: a plain river, with great width and numerous islands.

Now, with the conclusion of the Itaipu the commercial sailing is possible in Paraná, of Jupiá to the mouth of Iguaçú in an extension of approximately 670 km and in more precarious conditions even São Simão (through the river Paranaíba) and 'Agua Vermelha (through the Grande river).

The Jupiá, located to 21 km of the fork with the river Tietê, as well as the Single Island, doesn't have eclusas, what impedes the continuity of the sailing in this space of about 55 km in the river Paraná. Pereira Barreto's channel, now and the use of the river São José of the Gildings, they provide a passage for the sailing, allowing like this the connection among I scheme it north and I scheme it south of the river Paraná.

Practically there are not restrictions of the point of view of the depth for the traffic of embarkations with having silenced up to 2.5m between Jupiá and President Epitácio and embarkations with 3,5m quiet, they only can, in the current conditions, to reach Guaíra, for 30 days on the average a year (the quiet of 3.5m comes being for the project of the works of definitive character, in the river Paraná).

External links

• Information and a map of the Paraná's Watershed (http://earthtrends.wri.org/maps_spatial/maps_detail_static.cfm?map_select=425&theme=2)