Uruguay River

From Freepedia

Image:Atardeceruruguayrio.JPG The Uruguay River (in Spanish, Río Uruguay, pronounced [uɾuˈɣwaj]) is a river in South America. It flows from north to south and makes boundary with Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay (separating some of the Argentine provinces of the Mesopotamia from the other two countries).

The river measures about 1,500 km in length and starts in the Serra do Mar (Brazil), at 28º09' South 40º West, where the Canoas River and the Pelotas River are joined, at about 2,050 m over the sea level. In this stage the river goes through uneven, broken terrain, forming rapids and falls. Its course through Rio Grande do Sul is not navigable.

Together with the Paraná River, the Uruguay forms the River Plate estuary. It is navigable from around Salto Chico. Its main tributary is the Negro River, which is born in Uruguay and goes 500 km until its confluence with the Uruguay, which is located 100 km north from the Uruguay's confluence with the River Plate, in Punta Gorda (Colonia Department, Uruguay).

The basin of the Uruguay River has an area of 370,000 km². Its main use (economically) is for the generation of hydroelectric energy.

The name of the river comes from the Spanish settlers' interpretation of the word the locals used to designate it. The original name, Urugua'ý, in Guaraní, means "river of the painted birds".