Paraná

Paraná, (1) an important river of South America, rises as the Rio Grande in the Brazilian state of Minas Geraes, about 100 miles NW. of Rio de Janeiro. It flows north-west and west through and along the southern frontier of Minas Geraes, till it unites with the Paranahyba. It then receives the name Paraná, and turns to the south-west and afterwards to the south, separating Paraná state from Matto Grosso and from Paraguay, round the southern border of which republic it sweeps westward to its confluence with the Paraguay River. It then rolls southward through the Argentine provinces, past Santa Fé, below which its channel frequently divides and encloses numerous islands, and finally south-eastward, till it unites with the Uruguay, above Buenos Ayres, to form the Rio de la Plata. The entire length of the river is a little over 2000 miles; it drains an area of more than 1,100,000 sq. m. Its chief tributaries, besides those already mentioned, are the Mogy Guassu, Tieté, Paranapanema, Ivahy, Iguassu, and Salado; at San Pedro ($33^\{\backslash circ\}\; 40\text{'}\; S.$ lat.) a delta begins. The principal towns on its banks are Corrientes, Paraná, Santa Fé, and Rosario—all Argentinian. The river is navigable at all times to the influx of the Paraguay (705 miles), and except at low water to the mouth of the Iguassu (460 miles). Immediately above this point occurs one of the most remarkable rapids in the world. It extends for 100 miles in a straight line up the river, between ranges of frowning cliffs which confine the stream to a narrow, rocky bed, little more than 100 yards wide. Through this gorge the water pours in tumultuous fury; for above the rapid the river, then $2\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$ miles broad, rushes down over the Salto of Guayra, an inclined plane 55 feet high, and then forces its waters, tossing and churning, into the narrow channel below.—(2) A southern state of Brazil, on the coast, with an area of 85,453 sq. m., and a pop. (1888) of 187,548, including several colonies of Germans and Italians. The capital is Curitiba (34,000), with a railway (69 miles) to Paranaguá, the port of the state (pop. 5000).—(3) Capital of the Argentinian province of Entre Ríos, stands on a high bluff overlooking the Paraná, opposite Santa Fé, 410 miles by steamer from Buenos Ayres. The town was the capital of the Confederation from 1852 to 1861; afterwards it sank rapidly, but has now again a pop. of 15,000.