8 BULLETIN 1409, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
RIVERS 
Argentina is unique in its rivers. It has some of the largest and 
longest navigable rivers in the world and at the same time it has 
numerous rivers without any outlet to the sea that sink into the 
earth and disappear. Except in the mountains, the rivers, like those 
of the southern portion of the United States, are generally im- 
pregnated with fine silt and are muddy. Many of the streams and 
rivers that do not reach the sea, end in lagoons or swamps, leaving a 
deposit of fine mud that dries up in summer and is distributed by 
the wind. The heavier material, loose sand, is blown up in great 
moving sand dunes. 
The principal river of Argentina and one of the great rivers of the 
world is La Plata, or " silver river." It is formed by the junction 
of the Parana and the Uruguay Kivers, about 25 miles above the 
city of Buenos Aires. It is shallow, and is navigated by ocean-going 
ships through a narrow canal, which must be kept clear by constant 
dredging. The tides are low and the coast lines are flat. The 
greatest changes in level and depth are caused by prevailing winds. 
THE PARANA AND ITS TRIBUTARIES 
The Parana is one of the two principal tributaries of the La Plata. 
It rises in the mountains of southeastern Brazil, 600 miles or more 
northeast of the Argentine frontier, where it is joined by the Iguazu. 
Some 6 or 8 miles above the junction of these two rivers are the 
celebrated falls of the Iguazu, which rank among the highest and 
largest in the world. The total length of the Parana Kiver from its 
source to the La Plata is approximately 1,425 miles, disregarding 
numerous curves. In general appearance it is similar to the Mis- 
sissippi. It is several miles wide for a distance of about 500 miles 
in its lower course and is navigable by ocean-going steamers half 
that distance. For boats of smaller draft, it is navigable for more 
than 1,000 miles. 
The principal tributary of the Parana is the Paraguay Kiver, which 
rises in the south central part of Brazil and flows south to join the 
Parana, an airline distance of approximately 1,550 miles. 
The Parana and Paraguay Rivers have furnished the principal 
means of communication with the sea and the outer world for south 
central Brazil, Paraguay, and a large portion of the Argentine 
interior since the days of the early Spanish settlements. They still 
form the principal trade route, as there is only one railroad line from 
Asuncion to Buenos Aires. Rosario, on the Parana River 250 miles 
north of Buenos Aires, ranks second in size as a city and as a port for 
the export of cereals and other products to Europe. 
The delta of the Parana is formed by islands, channels, and canals, 
and is about 120 miles long by 30 miles wide at its mouth. It is 
subject to inundations one or more times a year and the soil is ex- 
ceedingly fertile. Large quantities of fresh vegetables, peaches, 
quinces, plums, grapes, oranges, and tangerines are grown for the 
Buenos Aires market, and many of the islands are covered with a 
dense growth of planted Lombardy poplars, that are used for making 
fruit and vegetable crates and for fuel. 
The second great tributary of the La Plata is the Uruguay River, 
which forms the eastern boundary between Argentina and Uruguay 
