Paranaíba River
| Paranaíba River | |
| Río Paranaíba | |
| River | |
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| Country | Brazil |
|---|---|
| State | Minas Gerais |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Dourados River, Perdizes River, Bagagem River, Araguari River, Tijuco River, São Domingos River |
| - right | Verde River, São Marcos River, Veríssimo River, Corumbá River, Piracanjuba River, Meia Ponte River, Dos Bois River, Preto River, Alegre River, Claro River, Verde River |
| Source | Serra da Mata da Corda |
| - location | Rio Paranaíba, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| - elevation | 1,148 m (3,766 ft) |
| - coordinates | 19°13′21″S 46°10′28″W / 19.22250°S 46.17444°W |
| Mouth | Paraná River |
| - location | confluence with Grande River, Brazil |
| - elevation | 328 m (1,076 ft) |
| - coordinates | 20°4′43″S 51°0′22″W / 20.07861°S 51.00611°WCoordinates: 20°4′43″S 51°0′22″W / 20.07861°S 51.00611°W |
| Length | 1,000 km (621.37 mi) |
| Basin | 34,400 km2 (13,282 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| - average | 796 m3/s (28,110 cu ft/s) |
 Map of the La Plata Basin, showing the Paranaíba River joining the Grande River to form the Paraná River.
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The Paranaíba River is a Brazilian river whose source lies in the state of Minas Gerais in the Mata da Corda mountains, municipality of Rio Paranaíba, at an altitude of 1,148 meters; on the other face of this mountain chain are the sources of the Abaeté river, tributary of the São Francisco River. The length of the river is approximately 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) up to the junction with the Grande River, both of which then form the Paraná River, at the point that marks the borders of the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Mato Grosso do Sul.
The main tributaries of the Paranaíba are the São Marcos, the Corumbá, the Meia Ponte, and the Bois. Major dams on its course are the Barragem de Emborcação, Barragem Itumbiara and Barragem de São Simão. Cachoeira Dourada near Itumbiara is one of the most important hydroelectric power stations in Brazil, providing energy to Goiânia and Brasília.
The Paranaíba is navigable only in the artificial lake of Ilha Solteira with an extension of 180 km as far as the dam of São Simão.
Because of the great pressure to use its resources it shows serious environmental problems.
In addition to the erosion of its banks caused by sand extraction and cutting down of the original forest growth, practically 100% of the towns that form its basin dump their sewage "in natura", including the capital of Goiânia, which dumps 95% of its sewage, untreated, directly into the Meia Ponte river, which then flows into the Paranaíba.
The Paranaíba river is the most important source of the Paraná river, her source lies in the serra (mountains) of Mata da Corda, municipality "Rio Paranaiba" (Mato Grosso) at a height of 1,148 metres (3,766 ft). On the other side of these serra is the source of the Abaete, a tributary of the São Francisco. The confluence of the Paranaíba with the Grande river is situated about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from the source of the Paranaíba. At the unison there is a bridge that is also a border point between three states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul. The Paranaíba river is famous for the rich diamond deposits of her tributaries and her huge hydroelectric potential.
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Wikipedia