In a drought has hit the river causing a year low [10]. In eastern South America there is "an immense number of river names containing the element para- or parana- ", from Guarani language words meaning "river" or "sea"; attempts to derive a more precise meaning for the name of this, the largest of them, e. The course is formed at the confluence of the Paranaiba and Rio Grande rivers in southern Brazil.
From the confluence the river flows in a generally southwestern direction for about km mi before encountering the city of Saltos del Guaira , Paraguay. This natural feature was said to rival the world-famous Iguazu Falls to the south. The falls were flooded, however, by the construction of the Itaipu Dam , which began operating in Shortly upstream from this confluence, however, the river is dammed by the Itaipu Dam, the second largest hydroelectric power plant in the world following the Three Gorges Dam in the People's Republic of China , and creating a massive, shallow reservoir behind it.
The river continues its general southward course for about km mi before making a gradual turn to the west for another km mi , and then encounters the Paraguay River , the largest tributary along the course of the river. River levels rose dramatically upon completion of the dam, flooding out large sections of the city's lower areas. This flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Parana River delta ranks as one of the world's greatest bird-watching destinations. 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.
Due to its use for oceangoing ships, measurements of the water tables extend back to The data correlates with the Sun's solar cycle. Container ship , traveling downstream by the city of Ramallo, Argentina. The Rosario-Victoria Bridge. Parana river in Posadas , Argentina. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. River in South America. This article is about the second-longest river in South America. Argentina Brazil Paraguay. Retrieved 12 August BBC News. Retrieved Retrieved 20 September Chapter "Birds.
