{{Short description|River of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay}} {{More citations needed|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox river | name = Paraguay River | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = Rio Paraguai, Río Paraguay | name_etymology = <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP --> | image = Desde el Mirador 3 - panoramio.jpg | image_size = 300 | image_caption = View of Paraguay River near [[Antequera District|Antequera]], Paraguay | map = Paraguayrivermap.png | map_size = 300 | map_caption = Map of the Paraná River Basin, showing the Paraguay River in highlight. | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = 300 | pushpin_map_caption= <!---------------------- LOCATION --> | subdivision_type1 = Countries | subdivision_name1 = {{hlist|[[Paraguay]]|[[Brazil]]|[[Argentina]]|[[Bolivia]]}} | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS --> | length = {{convert|2,621|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref name=varis/> | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location=Confluence of [[Paraná River|Parana]] | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = {{convert|5,493.005|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riversnetwork.org/rbo/index.php/river-blogs/south-america/itemlist/category/988-paraguay|title=Rivers Network|year=2020|access-date=2022-04-04|archive-date=2022-11-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101190443/https://www.riversnetwork.org/rbo/index.php/river-blogs/south-america/itemlist/category/988-paraguay|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{convert|4,550|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} {{convert|189|km3/year|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fao.org/3/ca2141en/CA2141EN.pdf|title=Transboundary River Basin Overview – La Plata}}</ref> | discharge1_max = <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES --> | source1 = [[Parecis Plateau]] | source1_location = [[Alto Paraguai]], Brazil | source1_coordinates= {{Coord|-14.627|-56.502|format=dms|display=i}} | source1_elevation = {{convert|434|m|abbr=on}} | mouth = [[Paraná River]] | mouth_location = Argentina, Paraguay | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|27|18|S|58|38|W|type:_river}}<ref>{{GEOnet2|32FA87C5298F3774E0440003BA962ED3|Río Paraguay}}</ref> | mouth_elevation = {{convert|50|m|abbr=on}} | progression = [[Paraná River]] → [[Río de la Plata]] → [[Atlantic Ocean]] | river_system = | basin_size = {{convert|1,120,154|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}<ref name="balance-hidrico">{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/comunicacioncicplata/docs/balance_hidrico_en_la_cuenca_del_pl/47%26ved%3D2ahUKEwjr9ayfg8HzAhUVi8MKHXz2BV84MhAWegQIBxAB%26usg%3DAOvVaw1ZiUkaMD1bTMyLbqhPKSM1|title=Balance hídrico en la Cuenca del Plata|access-date=2022-04-04|archive-date=2021-10-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019020450/https://issuu.com/comunicacioncicplata/docs/balance_hidrico_en_la_cuenca_del_pl/47%26ved%3D2ahUKEwjr9ayfg8HzAhUVi8MKHXz2BV84MhAWegQIBxAB%26usg%3DAOvVaw1ZiUkaMD1bTMyLbqhPKSM1|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{convert|1,095,000|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}<ref name=basin>[https://www.oas.org/dsd/Events/english/Documents/OSDE_3Pantanal.pdf Pantanal and the Upper Paraguay Basin], [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1002/joc.1313/asset/1313_ftp.pdf;jsessionid=84EAFB1257ED80D23DE8B9E4269BF405.f01t02?v=1&t=j7le89w8&s=22c9c66e8502ffdbea69859bfca3437305704d0d Paraguay river basin response to seasonal rainfall]</ref> | tributaries_left = [[Cuiabá River]], [[Rio Negro (Mato Grosso do Sul)|Rio Negro]], [[Miranda River]], [[Apa River]], [[Tebicuary River]] | tributaries_right = [[Jauru River (Mato Grosso)|Jauru River]], {{ill|Rio Negro (Bolivia-Paraguay)|es}}, [[Pilcomayo River]], [[Bermejo River]] | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = |discharge2_location=[[Puerto Bermejo]]|discharge2_avg=(Period of data: 1971–2010){{convert|4,696|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}<ref name="balance-hidrico"/>}} The '''Paraguay River''' ('''''{{lang|gn|Ysyry Paraguái}}''''' in [[Guarani language|Guarani]], '''''{{lang|pt|Rio Paraguai}}''''' in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], '''''{{lang|es|Río Paraguay}}''''' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]) is a major river in south-central South America, running through [[Brazil]] and [[Paraguay]] and forming parts of the Paraguay-[[Argentina]], Brazil-[[Bolivia]], and Brazil-Paraguay borders. It flows about {{convert|2621|km|mi}}<ref name=varis>{{cite book |last= Varis |first= Olli |last2= Tortajada |first2= Cecilia |last3= Biswas |first3= Asit K. |title= Management of Transboundary Rivers and Lakes |year= 2008 |publisher= Springer |isbn= 978-3-540-74926-4 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Z3ilzosWx4wC&pg=PA271 |page= 271}}</ref> from its headwaters in the [[States of Brazil|Brazilian state]] of [[Mato Grosso]] to its confluence with the [[Paraná River]] north of [[Corrientes]] and [[Resistencia, Chaco|Resistencia]].

==Course== {{unsourced|section|date=November 2022}} The Paraguay's source is south of [[Diamantino]] in the Mato Grosso state of Brazil. It follows a generally southwesterly course, passing through the Brazilian city of [[Cáceres, Mato Grosso|Cáceres]]. It then turns in a generally southward direction, flowing through the [[Pantanal]] wetlands, the city of [[Corumbá]], then running close to the Brazil-Bolivia border for a short distance in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and [[Mato Grosso do Sul]].

From the city of Puerto Bahia Negra, Paraguay, the river forms the border between Paraguay and Brazil, flowing almost due south before the confluence with the [[Apa River]]. [[File:Mapa del Punto Tripartito Bolivia Brasil Paraguay.png|thumb|left|The Paraguay-Bolivia-Brazil [[tripoint]] map.]] The Paraguay makes a long, gentle curve to the south-southeast before resuming a more south-southwesterly course, dividing the country of Paraguay into two distinct halves: the [[Gran Chaco]] region to the west, a largely uninhabited semi-arid region; and the eastern forested departments of the country, accounting for some 98% of the country's inhabitants. As such the river is considered perhaps the key geographical feature of the country with which it shares its name.

Some {{convert|400|km|mi}} after flowing through the middle of Paraguay, at the confluence with the [[Pilcomayo River]] and passing the Paraguayan capital city, [[Asunción]], the river forms the border with Argentina, flowing generally south-southwesterly for another {{convert|275|km|mi}} before it reaches its end, joining with the Paraná River.

==Uses== [[Image:Port of asuncion.jpg|thumb|250px|Deep water port on the River Paraguay in Asunción, Paraguay]] The Paraguay River is the second major river of the [[Rio de la Plata Basin]], after the Paraná River. The Paraguay's [[drainage basin]], about {{convert|1095000|km2|sqmi}},<ref name=basin/> covers a vast area that includes major portions of Argentina, southern Brazil, parts of Bolivia, and most of the country of Paraguay. Unlike many of the other great rivers of the Rio de la Plata Basin, the Paraguay has not been dammed for [[hydroelectric]] power generation; for this reason it is navigable for a considerable distance, second only to the [[Amazon River]] in terms of navigable length on the continent. This makes it an important shipping and trade corridor, providing a much-needed link to the Atlantic Ocean for the otherwise [[landlocked]] nations of Paraguay and Bolivia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bolivian river port offers landlocked nation alternative route to sea |url=https://unctad.org/news/bolivian-river-port-offers-landlocked-nation-alternative-route-sea |access-date=1 May 2025 |publisher=UNCTAD |date=21 November 2018}}</ref> It serves such important cities as Asunción and [[Concepción, Paraguay|Concepción]] in Paraguay and [[Formosa, Argentina|Formosa]] in Argentina.

The river is also a source of commerce in the form of fishing, and provides irrigation for agriculture along its route. As such it provides a way of life for a number of poor fishermen who live along its banks and make the majority of their income selling fish in local markets, as well as supplying a major source of sustenance for their families. This has created issues in large cities such as Asunción, where poverty-stricken farmers from the country's interior have populated the river's banks in search of an easier lifestyle. Seasonal flooding of the river's banks sometimes forces many thousands of displaced residents to seek temporary shelter until the waters recede from their homes. The Paraguayan military has been forced to dedicate land on one of its reserves in the capital to emergency housing for these displaced citizens. The river is a tourist attraction for its beauty.

==History== The original inhabitants of the upper Paraguay River were the [[Guarani people]]s.

The Paraguay River was explored in the 16th century by [[Sebastian Cabot (explorer)|Sebastian Cabot]], who at that time became the first recorded European to discover both the [[Paraná River|Paraná]] and Paraguay rivers. For hundreds of years, this river has served as the main route of Paraguay to the outside world.

Since that time, the river has had its vitality and importance, but is used today for a convoy of [[barge]]s.

==Wetland controversy== {{unsourced|section|date=November 2022}} The Paraguay River is the primary waterway of the {{convert|147629|km2|sqmi|adj=on}} [[Pantanal]] [[wetland]]s of southern Brazil, northern Paraguay and parts of Bolivia. The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland and is largely dependent upon waters provided by the Paraguay River.

Owing to its importance as a navigable waterway serving Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, the river has been the focus of commercial and industrial development. In 1997, the governments of the nations of the La Plata Basin proposed a plan under the Hidrovia Inter-Governmental Commission agency to develop the rivers into an industrial waterway system to help reduce the costs of exporting goods from the area, in particular the [[soybean]] crop that the area has embraced. The plan entailed constructing more [[hydroelectric dams]] along some of the waterways, along with a massive effort to restructure the navigable waterways—most notably the Paraguay River—through dredging of the waterway, rock removal and channel restructuring.

Studies indicated that the proposed [[river engineering]] of the Paraguay would have a devastating impact on the Pantanal wetlands. An effort by the Rios Vivos coalition to educate people on the effects of the project was successful in delaying the project, and the nations involved agreed to reformulate their plan. The final plan is still uncertain, along with the effect it will have on the Pantanal and the ecology of the entire [[Río de la Plata]] basin. The controversy over whether or not the project will have a disastrous effect on the local ecology, as well as the potential economic gains, continues to this day.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

==Water characteristics== [[File:RiodaPrataemBonito.jpg|thumb|The very clear waters of the Rio da Prata, part of the Paraguay River basin near [[Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul|Bonito]], Brazil, is rich in fish, such as ''[[Brycon hilarii]]'' (yellowish) and ''[[Prochilodus lineatus]]'' (dark)]] The Paraguay River basin includes several distinctive habitats, ranging from very clear waters such as Rio da Prata ([[w:pt:Rio da Prata (Mato Grosso do Sul)|pt]]) near [[Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul|Bonito]] in the upper part to the sediment-rich [[Bermejo River]] in the lower part. The [[suspended load]] of the Paraguay River is about {{convert|100|mg/L}} before the inflow of Bermejo, but rises to about {{convert|600|mg/L}} after.<ref name=Frutos2006>Frutos, Poi de Neiff, and Neiff (2006). Zooplankton of the Paraguay River : a comparison between sections and hydrological phases. Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim. 42(4): 277–288.</ref> Directly after the inflow of Bermejo River, the [[pH]] of the Paraguay River may reach up to 8.2. The typical pH of the Paraguay River is 5.8—7.4 in the upper part (defined as the section before the inflow of the first non-Pantanal [[tributary]], the [[Apa River]]) and 6.3—7.9 in the lower part.<ref name=Frutos2006/>

The peak of the flood season in the Paraguay River (measured at [[Corumbá]]) is delayed 4–6 months compared to the peak of the rainy season due to the slow passage of water through the Pantanal wetlands.<ref>Fraser, L.H., and P.A. Keddy (2005). The World's Largest Wetlands: Ecology and Conservation. p.213. {{ISBN|9780511113864}}</ref> There are significant temperature variations depending on the season. During the low-water season, the water of the Paraguay River is relatively warm (typically above {{convert|27|C|F|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and clouded ([[Secchi depth]] typically less than {{convert|32|cm|in|abbr=on|disp=or}}), but in the flood season it is colder (typically {{convert|18|-|26.3|C|F|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and clearer (Secchi depth typically {{convert|26|-|130|cm|in|abbr=on|disp=or}}).<ref name=Frutos2006/> The upper part of the Paraguay River is warmer than the lower and generally its temperature does not fall below {{convert|22.5|C|F|abbr=on}}, although some upper Paraguay tributaries may fall below this.<ref name=Frutos2006/>

==Fauna== [[File:Bonito-2.JPG|thumb|Two large characins of the Paraguay River; [[golden dorado]] (foreground) and four ''Brycon hilarii'' (background); near [[Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul|Bonito, Brazil]]]] The Paraguay River [[ecoregion]] has high [[species richness]] with about 350 fish species, including more than 80 [[Endemism|endemics]].<ref name=FEW>Hales, J., and P. Petry (2013). ''[https://www.feow.org/ecoregions/details/343 Paraguay]''. Freshwater Ecoregions of the World. Retrieved 28 February 2013</ref> About 80% of the fish species in the river are [[Characiformes|characiforms]] (tetras and allies) and [[catfish|siluriforms]] (catfish).<ref name=FEW/> Several of these [[Fish migration|migrate]] up the Paraguay River to [[Spawning|spawn]], including ''[[Prochilodus lineatus]]'' and ''[[Pseudoplatystoma corruscans]]''.<ref name=FEW/> Many species in the river are essentially of Paraná River Basin origin, but the fauna also has a connection with two [[Amazon Basin|Amazonian]] rivers, the [[Guaporé River|Guaporé]] and [[Mamoré River|Mamoré]]; while flowing in different directions, the Paraguay, Guaporé, and Mamoré all have their source in the same region in central South America. Among the species shared between these are the [[black phantom tetra]], an important fish in the aquarium industry,<ref>{{FishBase|genus=Hyphessobrycon |species=megalopterus|year=2013|month=February}}</ref> and the [[golden dorado]], which is important as [[Game fish|game]] and [[Fish as food|as food]].<ref>{{FishBase|genus=Salminus|species=brasiliensis|year=2013|month=February}}</ref><ref>Ziegler, M.F. (29 April 2013). [https://ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/ciencia/meioambiente/2013-04-29/estudo-descobre-78-novas-especies-de-peixes-no-rio-madeira.html Estudo descobre 78 novas espécies de peixes no Rio Madeira.] Ultimosegundo.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery widths="250px" heights="150px"> File:Rio Paraguai - panoramio (4).jpg|Paraguay River in the Amolar Mountains, in [[Corumbá]], [[Mato Grosso do Sul]], Brazil File:IDC,AR.jpg|The Paraguay River around [[Isla del Cerrito]], Argentina-Paraguay border. The Paraguay River passes through 2 Argentine provinces: [[Formosa Province|Formosa]] and [[Chaco Province|Chaco]]. File:Escudoprov.jpg|[[Puerto Busch]], located directly along the Paraguay River, in the progressive region of [[Media Luna|Southeastern Bolivia]], is [[Bolivia]]'s only sovereign exit to the [[Atlantic Ocean|ocean]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aspb.gob.bo/index.php/2020/10/22/impulsan-puerto-busch-para-fortalecer-la-exportacion-por-el-oceano-atlantico/ |title=Impulsan Puerto Busch para fortalecer la exportación por el Océano Atlántico |website=www.aspb.gob.bo |access-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527172830/https://www.aspb.gob.bo/index.php/2020/10/22/impulsan-puerto-busch-para-fortalecer-la-exportacion-por-el-oceano-atlantico/ |publisher= ASP-B (Administración de Servicios Portuarios - Bolivia)|archive-date=27 May 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://webpicking.com/puerto-busch-tendra-un-proyecto-de-construccion-en-seis-meses/#:~:text=La%20construcci%C3%B3n%20de%20Puerto%20Busch,para%20salir%20al%20oc%C3%A9ano%20Atl%C3%A1ntico. |title=Puerto Busch tendrá un proyecto de construcción |website=www.webpicking.com |access-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527172830/https://webpicking.com/puerto-busch-tendra-un-proyecto-de-construccion-en-seis-meses/#:~:text=La%20construcci%C3%B3n%20de%20Puerto%20Busch,para%20salir%20al%20oc%C3%A9ano%20Atl%C3%A1ntico. |archive-date=27 May 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Puerto Busch|url=https://antipode-bolivia.com/es-mapa-puerto-busch|website=antipode-bolivia.com|publisher=Antipode - Bolivia|language=es|date=2022-11-22|access-date=2022-11-22}}</ref> </gallery>

==See also== * [[Paraguayan jaguar]] * [[Tributaries of the Río de la Plata]] * [[Gran Chaco people]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== *[http://www.american.edu/TED/itaipu.htm American University Trade and Environment data base (2004). Itaipu Dam.] *American University Trade and Environment data base. (1999). Hydrovia Canal Plan and Environment. Available online at http://www.american.edu/TED/hidrovia.htm. *Bascheck, B. and Hegglin, M. (2004). Plata/Paraná River Basin, A Case Study. Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology. *Da Rosa, J. E. (1983). Economics, politics, and hydroelectric power: the Paraná River Basin. Latin American Research Review, VXVIII (3), pp.&nbsp;77–107. *Elhance, A. P. (1999). Hydropolitics in the 3rd World, Conflict and Cooperation in International River Basins. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace. *Gleick, P.H., ed. Water in Crisis. A Guide to the World's Fresh Water Resources, New York: Oxford University Press, pp.&nbsp;13–24. *Kulshreshtha, S.N. (1993). World Water Resources and Regional Vulnerability: Impact of Future Changes. RR-93-10, IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria. *Lammers, O., Moore, D. and Preakle, K. (1994). Considering the Hidrovia: a preliminary report on the status of the proposed Paraguay/Parana waterway project. Working Paper 3. Berkeley, California: International Rivers Network, July. *Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) (2007). Oregon State University. Available on-line at: http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311014135/http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/ |date=2009-03-11 }} *United Nations. (1978). Register of international rivers, Water Supply Management, 2 (1). New York: Pergamon Press.

== External links == {{commons-inline}} *[http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/research/case_studies/La_Plata_New.htm "Case Study of Transboundary Dispute Resolution: the La Plata basin," Aaron T. Wolf and Joshua T. Newton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402115916/http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/research/case_studies/La_Plata_New.htm |date=2015-04-02 }} *''Drainage Plan Will Devastate S. American Rivers, Groups Say'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20030806094611/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/07/0731_030731_tvhidrovia.html National Geographic News article, July 31, 2003]

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[[Category:Paraguay River| ]] [[Category:Rivers of Argentina|Paraguay]] [[Category:Rivers of Mato Grosso|Paraguay]] [[Category:Rivers of Mato Grosso do Sul|Paraguay]] [[Category:Rivers of Paraguay|Paraguay]] [[Category:Rivers of Santa Cruz Department|Paraguay]] [[Category:Rivers of Formosa Province]] [[Category:Brazil–Paraguay border]] [[Category:Argentina–Paraguay border]] [[Category:International rivers of South America]] [[Category:La Plata basin]] [[Category:Tributaries of the Paraná River]] [[Category:Border rivers]] [[Category:Lowest points of countries]]