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Iguaçu Falls

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | 700+ words | Copyright

Iguaçu Falls or Iguassú Falls , in the Iguaçu River, on the Argentina-Brazil border near the Paraguay line. Iguaçu Falls has two main sections that are composed of hundreds of waterfalls separated from each other by rocky islands along a 3-mi (4.8-km) escarpment. The highest fall is 210 ft (64 m) high; most of the falls are from 100 to 130 ft (30–40 m) high. Argentina and Brazil maintain national parks on each side of the falls. The surroundings, in the midst of beautiful scenery, abound in begonias, orchids, brilliant-hued birds, and myriads of butterflies. The Asunción-Paranaguá highway passes near the falls. Their potential as a source of hydroelectric power is considerable.

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