Iguaçu

Iguaçu, also Iguassú (Spanish, Iguazú), river, Brazil and Argentina, a tributary of the Paraná River. About 1,210 km (750 mi) in length, the Iguaçu rises near the Atlantic coast, in south-eastern Brazil, and flows in a generally westwards direction to its confluence with the Paraná. The river forms part of the boundary between Argentina and Brazil. The Iguaçu Falls, situated about 24 km (15 mi) from the junction of the river with the Paraná River, surpasses Niagara Falls in size and is one of the great natural wonders of South America. Above the falls, the rapids are divided by a series of rock- and tree-covered islands. The course then separates into approximately 275 separate cataracts or cascades and plunges down a 4-km (2y-mi) slope on the edge of the Paraná Plateau to a narrow gorge 73 m (240 ft) below. The crest of the falls is more than 60 m (200 ft) high; the water falls partly in a large double drop and partly in a series of cataracts. In the dry season two crescents of water are formed, each 732 m (2,400 ft) wide; in the wet season the two merge into one vast fall more than 4 km (2.5 mi) wide. The first European to discover the river was Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541. It was formerly known as Victoria Falls.