Iguazu Waterfalls

The area of ​​the Iguazu Falls are a set of about 275 waterfalls on the Iguazu River (in the catchment area of ​​the Parana River), located between Parque Nacional do Iguacu, Parana, Brazil and Iguazú National Park in Misiones, Argentina . The total area of ​​both national parks, corresponding to 250 000 hectares of subtropical forest and is considered a Natural Heritage of Humanity.

The Argentine National Park was created in 1934, and the Brazilian National Park in 1939 with the purpose of managing and protecting the source of water that represents the cataract and the entire environment around you. Parks both Brazilian and Argentine now considered a World Heritage Site in 1984 and 1986, respectively. Since 2002, the Iguazú National Park is one of geological sites in Brazil.

Historically, the first European to find the Iguazu Falls was the Spaniard Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, in the year 1542.

The Iguazu Falls are participating in the global campaign to choose the New Seven Wonders of Nature organized by the New 7 Wonders Foundation. Cataracts are among the 28 finalists in the campaign, which should last until 2011 when it should be reaching the number 1 billion votes. Another competitor in the competition is the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.

The Park

Aerial panorama of waterfalls of Iguazu, Argentina-Brazil border.
Falls and Brazilian tourist complex.
"Devil's Throat."
Iguazu Falls.

The area of ​​the Falls are about 275 waterfalls, with a height of 70 meters along 2.7 km of the Iguazu River. The Devil's Throat begins in the shape of inverted "U" with 150 meters wide and 80 feet high. See the word "Gorge". The Devil's Throat is the largest, most majestic and impressive of them all. This is divided by the boundary line between Brazil and Argentina. Most of the waterfalls (also called jumps) are in Argentine territory, but both sides are obtained beautiful panoramas.

His name's origin

The word Iguaçu in the Guarani language, is derived from y ("water" "river") and guasu or guaçu ("great"), literally means "big water", or river of "great water." In Spanish, it was officially adopted the spelling Iguazú. But etymology is wrong to write Iguazú with the consonant "z", but should be written or Iguasu Delhi.

Legend of the Falls

A beautiful legend Tupi-Guarani explains the emergence of the Iguazu Falls. "Many years ago, the Iguazu River flowed free, no rapids and even waterfalls. At its margins inhabited caingangues Indians, who believed that a great shaman M'Boy was the serpent-god, son of Tupa. Ignobi, chief of the tribe, had a daughter named suit, which would be dedicated to the worship of God M'Boy, divinity in the form of large snake.

Tarobá young warrior of the tribe falls in love with Naipi and the day of the consecration of a young escape to the river that calls them: - "Tarobá, suit, come with me!" Both went down the river in a canoe.

M'Boy, furious with the fugitives in the form of a large snake, into the ground and wriggled, triggered landslides that were falling on the river, forming the cliffs of the falls. Wrapped in the water, dropped from great height. Tarobá turned into a palm tree on the edge, and the suit, on a stone near the big waterfall, constantly buffeted by the force of water. M'Boy guarded by the serpent god, stay there, Tarobá sentenced to contemplate forever without your loved one can touch it.

Cities

Near the falls on both sides of the river, two major cities are located, Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná state in Brazil and Puerto Iguazu in Misiones province in Argentina. Another tourist spot near the falls is the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant and the region from the ruins of Jesuit missions (the villages of Indians converted to Catholicism) in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.