View source for Iguaçu National Park

{{Short description|National park in Brazil}}
{{About|the Brazilian National Park|the Argentine National Park|Iguazú National Park}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox Protected area
| name = Iguaçu National Park
| iucn_category = II
| photo = Iguazu Cataratas2.jpg
| photo_caption = [[Iguazu Falls]]
| location = [[Paraná State]], [[Brazil]]
| embedded1 = {{designation list | embed=yes
   | designation1 = WHS
   | designation1_date = 1986 <small>(10th [[World Heritage Committee|session]])</small>
   | designation1_type = Natural
   | designation1_criteria = vii, x
   | designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/355 355]
   | designation1_free1name = Region
   | designation1_free1value = [[List of World Heritage Sites in the Americas|Latin America and the Caribbean]]
   | designation1_free2name = [[List of World Heritage in Danger|Endangered]]
   | designation1_free2value = 1999–2001
}}
| map = Brazil
| relief = yes
| coordinates = {{coords|25|41|S|54|26|W|display=inline, title}}
| established = 10 January 1939
| visitation_year =about 1000000
|area={{convert|1700|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}}}
'''Iguaçu National Park''' ({{langx|pt|Parque Nacional do Iguaçu}}, {{IPA|pt-BR|ˈpaʁki nasi.oˈnaw du iɡwaˈsu, - nasjoˈnaw -|pron}}) is a [[National park (Brazil)|national park]] in [[Paraná State]], [[Brazil]]. It comprises a total area of {{Convert|185262.5|ha|acre}} and a length of about {{Convert|420|km|mi|sp=us}}, {{Convert|300|km|mi|sp=us}} of which are natural borders by bodies of water and the Argentine and Brazilian sides together comprise around {{Convert|260000|ha|acre}}.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.brasil.gov.br/meio-ambiente/2014/07/parque-nacional-do-iguacu-sitio-do-patrimonio-mundial-natural|title=Parque Nacional do Iguaçu é sítio do Patrimônio Mundial Natural|last=Brasil|first=Portal|website=Portal Brasil|language=pt-BR|access-date=2017-04-12}}</ref> Iguaçu National Park was created by federal decree nr. 1035 of 10 January 1939 and became a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] in 1986. The park is managed by [[Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation]] (ICMBio).<ref name="c"/><ref name="u"/>

The park shares a border with [[Iguazú National Park]] in [[Argentina]]. It also has one of the world's largest waterfalls, extending over some {{Convert|2700|m|ft|sp=us}}. It is home to many rare and [[endangered species]] of [[flora]] and [[fauna]], among them the [[giant otter]] and the [[giant anteater]]. The clouds of spray produced by the waterfall are conducive to the growth of lush vegetation.<ref name="u"/>

==History==
[[File:Entrada do Parque Nacional do Iguaçu.jpg|thumb|left|Iguaçu National Park Gateway]]
The Iguaçu National Park owes its name to the fact it includes an important area of the [[Iguazu River]] (Portuguese: Rio Iguaçu). Approximately {{convert|50|km2|mi2}} of the length of the river makes up the Iguaçu Falls.

It is the most important park of the Prata Basin and, since it is a haven to a significant genetic asset of [[animal]] and vegetal [[species]], it was the first park in Brazil to receive a Management Plan. As foreseen by Rebouças, the park's basic goal is the preservation of the highly relevant ecologically and scenic natural ecosystems, thus enabling scientific research and the development of environmental education and interpretation activities, recreation in natural surroundings and the ecological tourism.

The Iguaçu National Park is spectacular as well as pioneering. The first proposal for a Brazilian national park aimed at providing a pristine environment to "future generations", just as "it had been created by God" and endowed with "all possible preservation, from the beautiful to the sublime, from the picturesque to the awesome" and "an unmatched flora" located in the "magnificent Iguaçu waterfalls". These were the words used by [[André Rebouças]], an engineer, in his book "Provinces of Paraná, Railways to Mato Grosso and Bolivia", which started up the campaign aimed at preserving the Iguaçu Falls way back in 1876, when [[Yellowstone National Park]], the first national park on the planet, was four years old.

On November 17, 1986, during the [[UNESCO]] conference held in [[Paris]], the Iguaçu National Park was listed as Natural Heritage of Humanity and is one of the largest forest preservation areas in South America.<ref name="u"/>

==Location==
[[File:Parque Nacional do Iguaçú - Iguaçu National Park - Bilheterias - Ticket toll (13932942577).jpg|thumb|[[Box office|Ticket Office]]]]
In Brazil, the Park has boundaries with the following municipalities: Foz do Iguaçu, Medianeira, Matelândia, Céu Azul, São Miguel do Iguaçu, Santa Terezinha de Itaipu, Santa Tereza do Oeste, Capitão Leônidas Marque, Capanema and Serranópolis.

The Park is located in the westernmost region of the state of Paraná, in the Iguaçú river basin, {{convert|17|km|mile|abbr=on}} from downtown Foz do Iguaçú. It borders Argentina, where the Iguazu National Park, which was implemented in 1934, is located. The border between the two countries and their national parks is made by the Iguaçú river, whose source is near the Serra (mountain range) do Mar near Curitiba and runs for {{convert|18|km|mile|abbr=on}} throughout the state of Paraná. The river estuary is located 18 km downriver from the Falls, where it flows into the Paraná river. This meeting of rivers forms the triple Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay border.

Fishing regulations were published on 2 October 2008, covering conservation areas and their buffer zones in the [[Paraná River]] basin.
They were the [[Morro do Diabo State Park]], [[Rio do Peixe State Park]], [[Aguapeí State Park]], [[Mico Leão Preto Ecological Station]], [[Ivinhema State Park]], [[Ilha Grande National Park]], [[Caiuá Ecological Station]] and Iguaçu National Park.{{sfn|PES do Aguapeí – ISA |loc=Historico Juridico}} The [[Santa Maria Ecological Corridor]] connects the Iguaçu National Park with the protected margins of [[Itaipu Dam|Lake Itaipu]], and via these margins with the [[Ilha Grande National Park]].{{sfn|Teixeira|2016|p=3}}
The park would be part of the proposed [[Trinational Biodiversity Corridor]], which aims to provide forest connections between conservation units in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina in the Upper Paraná ecoregion.{{sfn|Araújo Corte|Valladares-Pádua|2007|p=23}}
{{wide image|Iguazu Décembre 2007 - Panorama 7.jpg|1200px|align-cap=center|The Garganta do Diabo Walkway allow panoramic view of the falls from the Brazilian side.}}

==Tourism==
[[File:Iguaçu National Park - Puma.jpg|thumb|A [[South American cougar]] caught on [[camera]]]]
The area of the park open for visitation and where the concession areas of Cataratas do Iguaçú S/A are located, accounts for approximately 0.3% of the total area of the park.

The most spectacular sightseeing of the park is the Iguaçú Falls, which form a 2,700m wide semicircle, while the water falls from a height of {{convert|72|m|ft}}. The number of waterfalls ranges from 150 and 300 depending on the Iguaçú river flow. Besides the exuberant waterfalls, there are other attractions such as rich fauna, the Poço Preto (the Black Well), the Macuco Waterfall, the Visitors Center, the Santos Dumont Statue, a homage paid by VASP (a defunct airline company) to the "Father of Aviation", who lent all his prestige and efforts in turning the falls area into a National Park.<ref name=":0" /> The park received 1,550,700 visitors in 2014.

==See also==
* [[Iguazu Falls]]
* [[Wildlife of Brazil]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|refs=

<ref name="c">{{cite web | url = http://www.cataratasdoiguacu.com.br/portal/paginas/131-natural-heritage-site.aspx | title = Natural Heritage Site: Parque Nacional do Iguaçu / Iguassu National Park | year = 2015 | publisher = Cataratas do Iguaçu S.A | location = Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brasil | access-date = 2015-08-27 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160808192453/http://www.cataratasdoiguacu.com.br/portal/paginas/131-natural-heritage-site.aspx | archive-date = 2016-08-08 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

<ref name="u">{{cite web | url = https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/355 | title = Iguaçu National Park  | year = 2015 | publisher = UNESCO World Heritage Organization | location = Paris, France | access-date = 2015-08-27}}</ref>
}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation |title=Plano de Manejo da Estação Ecológica Mico-Leão-Preto |language=pt |location=Brasília |date=November 2007 |last1=Araújo Corte |last2=Valladares-Pádua |first1=Dione Angélica de |first2=Cláudio Benedito |publisher=ICMBio |url=http://www.icmbio.gov.br/portal/images/stories/imgs-unidades-coservacao/esec_mico_leao_preto.pdf |access-date=2016-11-07 |archive-date=2016-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107223441/http://www.icmbio.gov.br/portal/images/stories/imgs-unidades-coservacao/esec_mico_leao_preto.pdf |url-status=dead }}
* {{citation |ref={{harvid |PES do Aguapeí – ISA}} |language=pt |title=PES do Aguapeí |publisher=ISA: Instituto Socioambiental |url=https://uc.socioambiental.org/uc/581635 |access-date=2016-11-08 }}
* {{citation |location=[[Asunción]] |date=5 April 2016 |language=pt |last=Teixeira |first=Cristiano |publisher=ITAIPU Binacional/MI |title=Corredor Ecológico de Santa Maria, Paraná - Brasil |url=http://www.paraguaybio.com.py/forocorredoresbiologicos/Presentaciones/Dia-2-Cristiano%20Teixeira%20-%20Corredor%20Ecologico%20de%20Santa%20Maria.pdf |access-date=2016-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105094845/http://www.paraguaybio.com.py/forocorredoresbiologicos/Presentaciones/Dia-2-Cristiano%20Teixeira%20-%20Corredor%20Ecologico%20de%20Santa%20Maria.pdf |archive-date=5 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Iguaçu National Park}}
* [http://www.cataratasdoiguacu.com.br/ Official web site]
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/355 Official UNESCO website]
* [https://archive.today/19970710085623/http://www.wcmc.org.uk/protected_areas/data/wh/iguacu.html UNEP-WCMC]
* [www.ibama.gov.br/parna_iguacu Ibama]
* {{osmrelation-inline}}

{{World Heritage Sites in Brazil}}
{{National park (Brazil)}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iguacu National Park}}
[[Category:National parks of Brazil]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Brazil]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1939]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Paraná (state)]]
[[Category:1939 establishments in Brazil]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Danger]]
[[Category:Protected areas of the Atlantic Forest]]