Iguaza Falls, Brasil

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Iguazu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentinian province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The river flows through Brazil for most of its course, although most of the falls are on the Argentine side. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the boundary between Argentina and Brazil. The first European to find the falls was the Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541.

The name “Iguazu” comes from the Guarani or Tupi words “y”, meaning “water”, and “ûasú”, meaning “big”. Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.

In November 2011, it was announced that Iguazu Falls were one of the seven winners of the ‘New Seven Wonders of Nature’ by the New Seven Wonders of the World Foundation.

The falls can be reached from the two main towns on either side of the falls: Puerto Iguazú in Argentina and Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, as well as from Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, on the other side of the Paraná river. The falls are shared by the Iguazú National Park (Argentina) and Iguaçu National Park (Brazil). The two parks were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1987 respectively.

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Posted: 19/12/2013

Author: Andy Hayward

Category: Favourite Destinations, Locations, South America

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