| Location | Misiones Province. Paraná (state). |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 25°41′12″S 54°26′41″WCoordinates: 25°41′12″S 54°26′41″W |
| Type | Cataract |
| Total height | 60–82 metres (197–269 ft)[1] |
| Number of drops | 275[1] |
| Longest drop | 82 metres (269 ft)[1] |
| Total width | 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi)[1] |
| Watercourse | Iguazu River |
| Average flow rate |
1,756 m3/s (62,010 cu ft/s)[1] |
Iguazu Falls is located where the Iguazu River tumbles over the edge of the Paraná Plateau, 23 kilometres (14 mi) upriver from the Iguazu's confluence with the Paraná River.
Numerous islands along the 2.7-kilometre-long (1.7 mi) edge divide the
falls into numerous separate waterfalls and cataracts, varying between
60 to 82 metres (197 to 269 ft) high. The number of these smaller
waterfalls fluctuates from 150 to 300, depending on the water level.[3] About half of the river's flow falls into a long and narrow chasm called the Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo in Spanish or Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese).[1]
The Devil's Throat is U-shaped, 82 metres high, 150 m wide, and 700 m
long (269×490×2,300 ft). Placenames have been given also to many other
smaller falls, such as San Martin Falls, Bossetti Falls and many others.[3]
Iguazú Falls from the Argentine side
About 900 metres (2,950 ft) of the 2.7-kilometre (1.7 mi) length does not have water flowing over it. The edge of the basalt cap recedes by 3 mm (0.1 in) per year. The water of the lower Iguazu collects in a canyon that drains in the Paraná River, a short distance downstream from the Itaipu Dam. The junction of the water flows marks the border between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. There are points in the cities of Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, and Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, which have access to the Iguazu River, where the borders of all three nations can be seen, a popular tourist attraction for visitors to the three cities.
