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Description
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- Four times
wider than Niagara Falls in the United States, and undoubtedly
the most spectacular in South America, the Iguaηu Falls in Paranα
is where the powerful river Iguaηu hurtles into a deep canyon,
carved in the shape of a horseshoe in the gigantic basalt flow
which, during the Triassic period, spread out from north-eastern
Uruguay to the region. The thunder of the water and the brilliance
of the rainbow crowning the fury of the torrent stay in the mind
as a rare and unforgettable testimony to the grandeur of the Earth.
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- Starting
its course near the Atlantic seaboard, the Iguaηu river crosses
the western highlands of the states of Sγo Paulo and Paranα and
arrives at the edge of the plateau to discharge its waters at
a rate which can reach 150,000 m³ per second. Various islands
divide the colossal flow into 275 separate cataracts, ranging
from 60 to 80 metres in height, with the refracted spray rising
to more than 150 metres. The best known islands - San Martin and
Isla Grande - are on the upper river, dividing it into two arms,
which join together again immediately afterwards. The river then
falls over rough formations of basalt and lava until it thunders
into the Devil's Throat. From there it continues until it flows
into the Paranα river and from there, via the Paraguay river,
contributes to the formation of the Plate Basin.
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- The region
comprises the Argentinian national park, created in 1934 and covering
50,000 hectares, and the Brazilian national park, created in 1939
and covering 170,000 hectares. The Brazilian side embraces four
municipalities, including Foz do Iguaηu, a name of indigenous
origin meaning big water. Even today, the legend of how the falls
were formed is part of local folklore. The Indians Naipi and Taroba
were a sort of Romeo and Juliet and were pursued by the irascible
serpent of the waters, M'Boi, who transformed himself into the
various cataracts.
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- The experience
of living with the forces of nature and the scintillating and
eternal spectacle of the waters combines with the exuberant tropical
vegetation, which is home to various endangered species. In the
park - where hunting is prohibited but fishing allowed - the forest
itself (broadleaf subtropical) is not a bit inferior to the Amazon
forest, which in itself is a reason for the growing ecotourism
in the region. Since the 1970s, there have been more than 2 million
visitors per year, and there is now a service of park guides and
a network of national and international hotels.
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- Since its
discovery by Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541, there have been
successive studies of the region's geology (relating to the flow
of volcanic basalt rock - Trapp-Parana),
biology and even its business potential, especially in relation
to its hydro-electric resources. All this has underlined the need
to carry out binational and international studies in the area.
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