Iguazu Falls
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Iguazu Falls (Portuguese: Cataratas do Iguaçu, Spanish: Cataratas del Iguazú IPA [iɣwa'su]) are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná (in the Southern Region) and the Argentine province of Misiones, around the coordinates .
The waterfall system consists of almost 300 falls, with heights of up to 70 meters, along 2.7 kilometres of the Iguazu River. The Garganta del Diablo ("Devil's Throat"), a U shaped 150 meters wide and 700 meters long cliff, is the most impressive of them all, and marks the border between Argentina and Brazil. Most of the falls are within Argentine territory, but from the Brazilian side (600 meters) a more panoramic view of the Garganta del Diablo is obtained.
The Falls are shared by the Iguazú National Park (Argentina) and Iguaçu National Park (Brazil). These parks were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1986 respectively.
Upon seeing Iguazu, first Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly excalimed "Poor Niagara!" Vastly larger than North America's Niagara Falls, Iguazu is only rivalled by Southern Africa's Victoria Falls (this is excluding extremely large rapid-like falls such as Livingston de Chutes and Boyoma falls). Whilst Iguazu is wider because it is split into about 270 discreet falls and large islands - Victoria is the largest curtain of water in the world, at over a mile wide and over 300 feet in height (in low flow it is split into five large falls by islands, in high flow it is uninterupted). Victoria's peak flow is also of greater volume than Iguazu's peak flow, though in times of extreme flood the two have recorded very similar maximum water discharge. Mist rises over 100 feet from Iguazu's Garganta del Diablo, and over 1000 feet above Victoria (sometimes more than 2000 feet). Iguazu and Victoria are generally regarded as the world's most spectacular waterfalls, with people divided as to which is the more impressive.
The name Iguazu comes from the Guarani words y (water) and guasu (big). The legend says that a god pretended to marry a beautiful aborigine named Naipú, who fled with her mortal lover in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river creating the waterfalls, condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.
There are two main towns on either side of the falls; Foz do Iguaçu in the Brazilian state of Paraná, and Puerto Iguazú in the Argentine province of Misiones. Other important tourist attractions near the falls is the Itaipu hydroelectric power plant, and the Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.
Iguazu Falls in fiction
- Moonraker (1979), 007 film
- The Mission (1986)
- Happy Together (1997), by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai
- Mr. Magoo (1997)
External links
- [World Heritage Site]
- [Iguazu Falls information]
- [Iguazu trip report]
- [28 photos of Iguazu]
- [360° Panoramic video of Iguazu Falls - requires Quicktime]
- [Cataratas Tourist information]
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