Parnaíba
Parnaíba 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
- -6.71°, -43.81°
About Parnaíba
The Parnaíba River (Portuguese: Rio Parnaíba [paɾnaˈibɐ]) is a river in Brazil, which forms the border between the states of Maranhão and Piauí. Its main course is 1,400 km (870 mi) long and the Parnaíba River Basin covers 330,000 km2 (130,000 mi2). The Parnaíba River rises in the Chapada das Mangabeiras range, and flows northeastward to empty into the Atlantic Ocean, being the longest river entirely located within Brazil's Northeast Region. The middle and upper regions of this river are separated by the Boa Esperança Hydroelectric Power Plant dam, but is otherwise navigable.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Parnaíba River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Parnaíba in Depth
Ecology
The fish species richness in the Parnaíba River Basin has traditionally been considered impoverished, but this has been disproven by recent surveys, which have recorded about 140 native species (including several that remain undescribed) and about 40% of these are endemic. One of the basin endemics is the freshwater stingray Potamotrygon signata. More than 70% of the fish species in the basin are members of either Characiformes or Siluriformes. The fauna in the headwaters has not yet been thoroughly surveyed. In addition to the natives, there are seven introduced fish species in the basin.
The river delta is protected by the 313,800 hectares (775,000 acres) Delta do Parnaíba Environmental Protection Area, created in 1996.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Parnaíba River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Parnaíba: Key Facts
| Length | 1,450 km |
|---|---|
| Drainage basin | 344,112 km² |
| Source | Chapada das Mangabeiras |
| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
| Drainage system | Parnaíba Basin |
| Tributaries | Longá River, Poti River, Canindé River, Gurguéia River, Das Balsas River, Uruçuí Prêto River, Uruçuí-Vermelho River, Piauí River |
Facts from Wikidata Q1419084 (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
Parnaíba: Quick Answers
- Where is Parnaíba?
- Parnaíba is located in Brazil, at 6.7059° S, 43.8098° W.
- Are there dams on the Parnaíba?
- No dam on the Parnaíba is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.