The
Araguaia River or, in Portuguese,
Rio Araguaia is one of the major rivers of
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
, and the principal tributary of the
TocantinsThe Tocantins is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means "toucan's beak" . It runs from south to north for about 2,640 km. It is not really a branch of the Amazon River, although usually so considered, since its waters flow into the...
. It has a total length of approximately 2,627 km.
Araguaia means "river of (red) macaws" in the Tupi language.
Because of the vast number of tributaries, it is not easy to define its source. Important tributaries originate in the Araras mountain range in
Mato GrossoMato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country....
as well in the Divisões mountain range situated in
GoiásGoiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The most central of the Brazilian states and most populous of the region, Goiás is characterized by a landscape of chapadões...
(according to other sources however, the Araguaia comes from the Caiapó Range, at the Goiás-Mato Grosso border).
The
Araguaia River or, in Portuguese,
Rio Araguaia is one of the major rivers of
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
, and the principal tributary of the
TocantinsThe Tocantins is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means "toucan's beak" . It runs from south to north for about 2,640 km. It is not really a branch of the Amazon River, although usually so considered, since its waters flow into the...
. It has a total length of approximately 2,627 km.
Araguaia means "river of (red) macaws" in the Tupi language.
Geography
Because of the vast number of tributaries, it is not easy to define its source. Important tributaries originate in the Araras mountain range in
Mato GrossoMato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country....
as well in the Divisões mountain range situated in
GoiásGoiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The most central of the Brazilian states and most populous of the region, Goiás is characterized by a landscape of chapadões...
(according to other sources however, the Araguaia comes from the Caiapó Range, at the Goiás-Mato Grosso border). From there it flows northeast to a junction with the
TocantinsThe Tocantins is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means "toucan's beak" . It runs from south to north for about 2,640 km. It is not really a branch of the Amazon River, although usually so considered, since its waters flow into the...
near the town of São João.
Along its course, the river forms the border between the Brazilian federal states of
GoiásGoiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The most central of the Brazilian states and most populous of the region, Goiás is characterized by a landscape of chapadões...
,
Mato GrossoMato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country....
, Tocantins and
ParáPará is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northern part of the country.Neighboring states are Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the north it borders Guyana and Suriname. Pará is the second largest state of Brazil in area, second only to Amazonas...
. Roughly in the middle of its course, the Araguaia splits into two forks (with the western one retaining the name Araguaia and the eastern one being called
Rio Javaés). These later reunite, forming the Ilha do Bananal, the world's largest river island.
A large portion of the Araguaia's course is navigable all year, but the river below Bananal is interrupted by rapids.
The combined watershed of Araguaia and Tocantins rivers (named the
Araguaia Tocantins Basin) covers approximately 9.5 % of Brazil's national territory. This area is an integral part of the
Amazon BasinThe Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The basin is located mainly in Brazil, but also stretches into Peru and several other countries. The South American rain forest of the Amazon is the largest in the world, covering about...
. However, the Araguaia River is not a tributary of the Amazon.
"Araguaia" means "River of the
MacawMacaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca. Previously, the members of the genus Primolius were placed in Propyrrhura, but the...
s" in the native Tupi language.
Tributaries
Its principal tributary is the
Rio das MortesThe Rio das Mortes is a river of Mato Grosso state in western Brazil. It has a length of 278 km.-References:*...
, which rises in the Serra de São Jerônimo, near
CuiabáCuiabá is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. It is located in the exact centre of South America and is in conurbation with the neighbouring town of Várzea Grande....
, Mato Grosso, and is navigable to
ParáPará is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northern part of the country.Neighboring states are Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the north it borders Guyana and Suriname. Pará is the second largest state of Brazil in area, second only to Amazonas...
.
Other important tributaries include the
Bonito-Brazil:* 16 rivers including:* Bonito River * Bonito River * Bonito River * Bonito River * Bonito River * Bonito River * Bonito River...
, Garcas, Cristallino and
Tapirape on the west, and the Pitombas, Claro,
Vermelho-Brazil:* Vermelho River * Vermelho River * Vermelho River * Vermelho River * Vermelho River * Vermelho River * Vermelho River...
, Tucupa and Chavante on the east.
History
It was explored in part by Henri Coudreau in 1897. See Coudreau's Voyage au Tocantins-Araguaya (Paris, 1897).
Towns
Among the most important settlements on the banks of the Araguaia River are (in a downstream order):
- Barra do Garças
Barra do Garças is a city with a population of 50,000 located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, around 550 km far from the capital city of Cuiabá...
- Aragarças
Aragarças is a small town and municipality in southwest Goiás state, Brazil.-Location:Aragarças is the most important town in the Aragarças Microregion. It is 410 km...
- Aruanã
Aruanã is a small town and municipality in north-western Goiás state, Brazil. It has a total area of 3,050.3 km², with a population of 6,476 in 2007. Aruanã is a tourist spot on the Araguaia River and is a major producer of cattle.-Location:...
- Luiz Alves
- São Félix do Araguaia
- Santa Terezinha
- Araguacema
Araguacema is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Tocantins. Its population was 6,000 and its area is 2,778 km²....
- Conceição do Araguaia
- Xambioá
The Xambioá, also called the Karajá do Norte, Ixybiowa, or Iraru Mahãndu, are an indigenous people who live in Tocantins, Brazil.-Further reading:* http://www.socioambiental.org/pib/epienglish/karaja_do_norte/karaja_norte.shtm...
- São Geraldo do Araguaia
- São João do Araguaia
Tourism
Several parts of the river's course are protected by national parks and other reserves like the
Emas National ParkThe Emas National Park is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located between the states of Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul in the Center-West Region of Brazil, between 17º50’—18º15’S and 52º39’—53º10’W....
and the
Araguaia National ParkThe Araguaia National Park is located in Tocantins state in the north of Brazil, between 09º51’—11º11’S and 49º57’—50º27’W.-External links:*-See also:* List of national parks of Brazil...
. The Araguaia is well-renowned for its scenic beauty, an especially noteworthy feature being its "beaches" - bright sandy banks that seam the stream from May to October. Throughout recent years, certain stretches of the river have become an important destination for
ecotourismEcotourism is travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and small scale. It helps educate the traveler; provides funds for conservation; directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities; and fosters respect for...
. Along with boat trips, amateur fishing is a popular activity with Brazilian as well as international tourists.
However, despite the legal protection that long stretches of the Araguaia enjoy, several development projects present a potential threat to this as of yet largely unspoilt landscape.
External links
The
Araguaia River is a river of
GoiásGoiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The most central of the Brazilian states and most populous of the region, Goiás is characterized by a landscape of chapadões...
state in central
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
.