Quick Facts
- Portuguese:
- Cachoeira De Paulo Afonso
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Paulo Afonso Falls
Paulo Afonso Falls on the São Francisco River, Alagoas, Brazil.
Paulo Afonso Falls
waterfalls, Brazil
Also known as: Cachoeira de Paulo Afonso
Paulo Afonso Falls, series of rapids and three cataracts in northeastern Brazil on the São Francisco River along the Bahia-Alagoas estado (state) border. Lying 190 miles (305 km) from the river’s mouth, the falls have a total height of 275 feet (84 m) and a width of less than 60 feet (18 m). Water no longer freely flows over the falls, as a large hydroelectric station and dam intercept the river. Water does flow over the falls when the dam’s flood gates are opened. Prior to damming, the falls had an average water discharge of 100,000 cubic feet (3,000 cubic m) per second.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy McKenna.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.