We all know Argentina’s love for football, but that is not all that attracts people to this country.With its diverse culture and tradition, this country has fascinated millions of tourists each year. So, here’s a question: how much do you really know about Argentina and its alluring beauty?The world’s eighth-largest country is located in the continent of South America, which is a country blessed with rich natural resources. This country is home to incredible flora and fauna, and of course, the famous Pope Francis.Argentina is a beautiful country that is surrounded by the countries Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean and is adorned with various landforms. In the west, lies the Andes Mountains, and the Pampas (plains) cover the southern part of Argentina, bordering the Atlantic Ocean in the east with the capital city of Buenos Aires.Although there are a lot of fascinating things to talk about when it comes to the home of Tango, we would, however, only be discussing some of the longest rivers that flow through Argentina in this article. Trust us; if you are into geographical features and facts like the sea or border regions, you will definitely be blown away by these facts. If you are someone who really gets a kick out of facts and is curious about almost everything you come across, further reads like Texas facts and Puerto Rico culture facts should be your next stop.The Most Important Rivers In ArgentinaArgentina’s major rivers comprise the Paraná River, which also happens to be the longest river in Argentina, the Paraguay River, the Uruguay River, the Desaguadero River, the Colorado River in the Rio Negro and La Pampa border, the Iguazu River, and the Salado River.Most of the rivers that flow through Argentina empty into the Atlantic Ocean through the Río de la Plata estuary. The longest river that crosses through Argentina is the Paraná River which is 3,032 mi (4,880 km) long and flows from Brazil and through Paraguay and the Río de la Plata.The second-longest river after the Paraná River is the Paraguay River which stretches for a length of 1,621 mi (2,609 km) until it merges with the Paraná River. Unlike other major rivers in the country, the Paraguay River has no dams and is primarily used for fishing and agriculture.Another interesting fact about the Paraguay River is that it is home to over 350 fish species and among which 80 are endemic. Following the Paraguay River is the Uruguay River that originates from Brazil and slows for a distance of 1,142 mi (1,838 km) into Río de la Plata, which is the Spanish for ‘River of Silver’ and is the estuary of the Paraná and the Uruguay Rivers.Other major Argentine rivers include the Desaguadero River, which is 941 mi (1,514 km) long, the Iguazu River, which is also one of the major tributaries of the Paraná River, flows for a distance of 820 mi (1,320 km), and the Salado River (Salado del Norte), which flows through the capital and the largest city, Buenos Aires, that has a total length of 715 mi (1,151 km). The Largest River In ArgentinaSince rivers are only described in terms of their length, the longest river in Argentina is the Paraná River.Beginning on a plateau in Southern Brazil, the Paraná River received its name from a native phrase, ‘para rehe onáva’, which translates to ‘as big as the sea’. The Paraná River flows a distance of 3,032 mi (4,880 km) to merge with the Paraguay River and Uruguay River to form the Río de la Plata. A few of the most significant tributaries of the Paraná River include the Titetê, and the Iguazu, which has the Iguazu Falls, which again has a fascinating combined fall of about 275 cascades that together make the largest waterfall in the world.Along with its tributaries, the Paraná River forms a vast watershed that extends across northern Argentina. The river’s drainage basin covers entire Paraguay, large portions of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Bolivia. It connects inland cities in Argentina and Paraguay to the Atlantic via a large portion of its navigable length. The Parana River has also made Paraguay the world’s largest exporter of hydropower with the construction of Yacyretá Dam and Itaipu Dam, one of the biggest in the world, on its border.What lives in the Paraná River?The longest river in Argentina is home to about 300 species of freshwater fish.With a rich flora and fauna, the Parana River accommodates numerous incredible species that includes Potamotrygon (freshwater stingrays that are native to the rivers of South America), Aphyocharax (genus of characins from the rivers of the continent), gymnotiformes (neotropical electric fish), loricariid (the largest family of catfish), Corydoras (a genus of freshwater catfish), Erythrinidae (also known as trahiras or tarariras), and Synbranchus marmoratus (swamp eel).Talking about the stingrays, the Parana River has been recorded with almost nine species of Potamotrygonidae freshwater river stingrays that also include the popular Motoro stingray and the smooth-back river stingray. The population Aphyocharax paraguayensis (dawn tetra) comprises about half of the fishes found in the river. There are almost 80 different species of loricariid, among which include the Otocinclus vittatus, Pseudohemiodon laticeps, and Otocinclus vestitus. The river also consists of other fishes, including around 25 species of killifish and cichlids, South American lungfish, and about three anostomidae. In addition to these fishes, the Parana River also supports migratory fishes like the Atlantic saber-tooth anchovy, as well as piranhas; we’ll get to those a little later.Are there piranhas in the Parana River?Yes, the Parana River is also home to the terrifying piranhas.The river is a humble abode for the blood-thirsty, notorious little piranhas. According to Fishbase, there are about three piranha species; the Speckled Piranha (Serrasalmus spilopleura), Pirambeba Piranha (Serrasalmus marginatus), and Serrasalmus maculatus.One of the most recent and outrageous piranha attacks was recorded on Christmas 2013 when 70 Christmas Day swimmers were trying to escape the scorching heat near Rosario, which is about 200 miles north of Buenos Aires, were attacked by a shoal of piranhas.A takeaway note, the map of rivers in Argentina is really intriguing and if you do plan to add the Parana River to your travel bucket list: beware of the piranhas!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for major rivers in Argentina: curious facts on Paraguay river revealed! then why not take a look at astounding animal self defense that will take you by surprise!, or ancient compass: who created it and how was it used in the past?
We all know Argentina’s love for football, but that is not all that attracts people to this country.
