Paraguay River basin
Quick Summary
The Paraguay River basin is a vast drainage basin in South America, covering approximately 380,000 square miles (980,000 square km). The dominant climate is hot and humid, with dry winters and heavy summer rains. The basin is sparsely populated and largely underdeveloped, with livestock raising and subsistence agriculture as the primary livelihoods.12
The Paraguay River itself is the fifth largest river in South America and a major tributary of the Paraná River. It originates in Brazil and flows through Paraguay before forming part of the border with Argentina. A significant feature of the upper basin is the Pantanal, a large seasonal swamp. The river is subject to seasonal flooding, which impacts the flow of the lower Paraná.13
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Río de la PlataPhysiography of the Paraguay basinAt Paso de Patria, on the right (Paraguayan) bank, the Paraná receives its greatest tributary, the Paraguay River. The fifth largest river in South America, the Paraguay (Spanish: Río Paraguay; Portuguese: Rio Paraguai) is 1,584 miles (2,550 kilometres) long. The name Paraguay, also…
Read MoreAt Paso de Patria, on the right (Paraguayan) bank, the Paraná receives its greatest tributary, the Paraguay River. The fifth largest river in South America, the Paraguay (Spanish: Río Paraguay; Portuguese: Rio Paraguai) is 1,584 miles (2,550 kilometres) long. The name Paraguay, also…
Read More- Río de la PlataHydrology of the system
Throughout the basin of the Paraguay River, which covers more than 380,000 square miles, elevations rarely exceed 650 feet above sea level. Thus, over a long distance, the gradient of the river varies only slightly from about 0.75 to 1 inch per mile (1.2 to 1.6 centimetres…
Read MoreThroughout the basin of the Paraguay River, which covers more than 380,000 square miles, elevations rarely exceed 650 feet above sea level. Thus, over a long distance, the gradient of the river varies only slightly from about 0.75 to 1 inch per mile (1.2 to 1.6 centimetres…
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