Mearim
Mearim is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- -5.32°, -45.08°
About Mearim
The Mearim River (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [meaˈɾĩ]) is a river in Maranhão state of northern Brazil. The river originates in the southern part of Maranhão, and drains north into the Baía de São Marcos, an estuary that also receives the Pindaré and Grajaú rivers, which are sometimes considered tributaries of the Mearim. The lower Mearim is known for its pororoca, or tidal bore.
The Mearim is approximately 800 kilometers long, flowing through the marshlands of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. It meets the Atlantic Ocean at the Sao Marcos Bay, where it forms a common estuary with another river, Pindare. The Mearim's primary source of water is rain. The river's upper and middle courses are characterized by rapids. Only the lower sections of the Mearim are suitable for navigation.
The river defines the southern boundary of the Tocantins–Araguaia–Maranhão moist forests ecoregion.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Mearim River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mearim: Key Facts
| Length | 800 km |
|---|---|
| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
| Tributaries | Pindaré River, Corda River, Grajaú River |
Facts from Wikidata Q582321 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Mearim: Quick Answers
- Where is Mearim?
- Mearim is located in Brazil, at 5.3217° S, 45.0763° W.
- Are there dams on the Mearim?
- No dam on the Mearim is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.