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Araguaia River

Coordinates: 5°22′34″S 48°43′08″W / 5.37611°S 48.71889°W / -5.37611; -48.71889
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Araguaia River
♂ Berohokỹ [beɾohoˈkə̃],
♀ Bèrakuhukỹ [bɛɾakuhuˈkə̃] (Karajá)[1]
A tree in the Araguaia National Park in flood season
Map of the Araguaia/Tocantins Watershed
Native nameRio Araguaia (Portuguese)
Location
CountryBrazil
StateGoiás, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Pará
Physical characteristics
SourceAraguaia River
 • locationMineiros, Goiás
 • coordinates18°02′02″S 53°03′47″W / 18.034°S 53.063°W / -18.034; -53.063
 • elevation858 m (2,815 ft)
MouthTocantins River
 • location
São João do Araguaia, Pará
 • coordinates
5°22′34″S 48°43′08″W / 5.37611°S 48.71889°W / -5.37611; -48.71889
 • elevation
90 m (300 ft)
Length2,627 km (1,632 mi)
Basin size377,000 km2 (146,000 mi2)[2] 358,125 km2 (138,273 mi2)
Discharge 
 • locationConceição do Araguaia, Brazil (Basin size: 358,125 km2 (138,273 sq mi))
 • average6,172 m3/s (218,000 cu ft/s) 6,216 m3/s (219,500 cu ft/s)
Discharge 
 • locationConfluence of Tocantins
 • average6,420 m3/s (227,000 cu ft/s)[2] 6,500 m3/s (230,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River systemTocantins basin

The Araguaia River (Portuguese: Rio Araguaia [ˈʁi.u aɾaˈɡwajjɐ], Karajá: ♂ Berohokỹ [beɾohoˈkə̃], ♀ Bèrakuhukỹ [bɛɾakuhuˈkə̃])[1] is one of the major rivers of Brazil, and a tributary of the Tocantins River.

Geography

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The Araguaia River comes from Goiás-Mato Grosso south borders. From there it flows northeast to a junction with the Tocantins near the town of São João.[3]

Along its course, the river forms the border between the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Tocantins and Pará. Roughly in the middle of its course the Araguaia splits into a fork (with the western stream retaining the name Araguaia and the eastern one being called the Javaés River). These later reunite, forming the Ilha do Bananal, the world's largest river island.[3] The vein of the Javaés forms a broad inland where it pours back into the main Araguaia, a 100,000 hectare expanse of igapós or flooded forest, blackwater river channels, and oxbow lakes called Cantão, protected by the Cantão State Park. It is one of the biologically richest areas of the eastern Amazon, with over 700 species of birds, nearly 300 species of fish, large populations of species such as the giant otter, the black caiman, the pirarucú, one of the world's largest freshwater fish, and the Araguaian river dolphin (or Araguaian boto), all occurring within a large area.

A large portion of the Araguaia's course is navigable all year, but the river below the Cantão wetlands is interrupted by rapids.

The middle and lower basin of the river is in the Xingu–Tocantins–Araguaia moist forests ecoregion.[4] The combined watershed of Araguaia and Tocantins rivers (named the Araguaia Tocantins Basin) covers approximately 9.5% of Brazil's national territory. This area is an integral part of the Amazon biome; however, the Araguaia River is not a tributary of the Amazon.

"Araguaia" means "River of the macaws" in the native Tupi language.

Tributaries

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The Araguaia River

Its principal tributary is the Rio das Mortes, which rises in the Serra de São Jerônimo, near Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, and is navigable to Pará. Other important tributaries include the Bonito, Garcas, Tapirape and the Formoso or Cristalino on the west, and the Pitombas, Claro, Vermelho, Tucupa and Chavante on the east.[5]

History

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The Araguaia River basin has been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous ethnic groups, including the Karajá, Javaé, and Xavánte, who continue to reside along its banks, particularly around the Ilha do Bananal—the world's largest river island formed by the Araguaia splitting into two channels.[6][7]

European contact in the region began in the 17th century. The discovery of gold in the river's tributaries by explorer Bartolomeu Bueno da Silva in 1682 spurred initial colonial penetration and led to the establishment of settlements like Santa Anna (now the city of Goiás).[8]

The 18th and 19th centuries saw limited success in colonizing the river valley, but the area was heavily exploited by slave-hunting expeditions from São Paulo and Belém, displacing and reducing the indigenous population.[9] It was explored in part by Henri Coudreau in 1897.[10] The Karajá do Norte, for instance, were subjected to a "very violent process of population loss," declining to just 3–4% of their former size by the mid-20th century due to conflicts and displacement from colonization.[9]

20th Century and Modern Significance

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True habitation of the Araguaia valley accelerated in the 1960s due to new communication links and the expansion of cattle ranching and agriculture.[11] This period of rapid development led to significant deforestation and land-use change, causing increased erosion and sedimentation in the river's channel.[12]

Between 1972 and 1974, the Araguaia region was the stage for a critical event in modern Brazilian history: the Araguaia Guerrilla War, a conflict between left-wing resistance movements and the military dictatorship. The river's remote terrain became a battleground, highlighting its role as a frontier and strategic area.[7]

Today, the Araguaia River remains vital as a transitional zone between the Cerrado savanna and the Amazon rainforest, crucial for biodiversity and tourism. However, it faces severe threats from continued agricultural expansion, dam construction, and proposals for an industrial waterway (hidrovia), which threaten its ecology and the livelihoods of its riverside and indigenous communities.[11][13]

Towns

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Among the most important settlements on the banks of the Araguaia River are (in a downstream order):

Tourism

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Tourism along the Araguaia River is heavily centered on ecotourism and sport fishing, capitalizing on the region's unique biodiversity as a transition zone between the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado savanna. The river attracts visitors drawn to its abundant wildlife, including river dolphins, jaguars, and a vast array of bird species.[14]

A significant portion of tourism activity focuses on the preservation of these natural habitats. As noted by travel experts, "Several parts of the river's course are protected by national parks and other reserves like the Emas National Park and the Araguaia National Park".[15]. Emas National Park, located near the river's headwaters, is a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for its biodiversity, while Araguaia National Park protects a large section of Ilha do Bananal, the world's largest fluvial island.[16]

The river's seasonal hydrology creates a major tourist attraction during the dry season. The Araguaia has "beaches" - bright sandy banks that seam the stream from May to October. These ephemeral white sand beaches, particularly near towns like Aruanã, become hubs for camping, swimming, and festivals, drawing thousands of visitors annually.[17][15] Several parts of the river's course are protected by national parks and other reserves like the Emas National Park and the Araguaia National Park. The Araguaia has "beaches" - bright sandy banks that seam the stream from May to October.

Deforestation and Impacts on the Araguaia

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Deforestation and expansion of cattle ranching and agriculture in the Araguaia basin has been extreme during the last four decades.[18][non-primary source needed] As a consequence, strong linear erosion has produced thousand of gullies just in the upper Araguaia basin, and the river mainstem suffered strong sedimentation and fluvial metamorphism (changes in its channel pattern).[19][non-primary source needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Lima, Nei Clara de; Leitão, Rosani Moreira (2019). Iny tkylysinamy rybèna. Arte Iny Karajá: patrimônio cultural do Brasil (PDF). Goiânia: IPHAN-GO. ISBN 978-85-7334-343-4.
  2. ^ a b Aquino, Samia; Latrubesse, Edgardo; Bayer, Maximiliano (2009). "Assessment of wash load transport in the Araguaia River (Aruanã Gauge Station), central Brazil". Latin American Journal of Sedimentology and Basin Analysis. 16 (2): 119–128.
  3. ^ a b "Araguaia River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
  4. ^ Sears, Robin, Eastern Amazonian - Brazil (NT0180), WWF: World Wildlife Fund, retrieved 2017-03-22{{citation}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  5. ^ Wikisource One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Araguaya". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 315.
  6. ^ Instituto Araguaia. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2025, from https://www.araguaia.org/
  7. ^ a b Environment, Oishimaya Sen Nag in (2017-04-25). "The Araguaia River". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  8. ^ Wanderlog. (2025). Araguaia River, - Reviews, Ratings, Tips and Why You Should Go. Retrieved November 29, 2025, from https://wanderlog.com/place/details/13541614/araguaia-river
  9. ^ a b Karajá do Norte - Indigenous Peoples in Brazil. (2018, March 26). Povos Indígenas no Brasil. Retrieved November 29, 2025, from https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/Povo:Karaj%C3%A1_do_Norte
  10. ^ Coudreau's Voyage au Tocantins-Araguaya (Paris, 1897)
  11. ^ a b Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.). Araguaia River. Retrieved November 29, 2025, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/araguaia-river
  12. ^ Latrubesse, E. M., Stevaux, J. C., Sinha, R., Link, O. O., Arima, E. Y., Nogueira, L. M., Ferreira, F. L., & Breda, F. (2014). "The geomorphologic response of a large pristine alluvial river to tremendous deforestation in the South American tropics: The case of the Araguaia River". Geomorphology. 113 (3–4): 239–252. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.03.014. ISSN 0169-555X.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ International Rivers Network. (n.d.). Araguaia & Tocantins Rivers. Retrieved November 29, 2025, from https://www.irn.org/files/en/latin-america/amazon-basin/araguaia-tocantins-rivers.html
  14. ^ Instituto Araguaia. (n.d.). Welcome to Cantão. Retrieved December 2, 2025, from https://www.araguaia.org/
  15. ^ a b "Goiás and Tocantins states Travel Guide | What to Do in Goiás and Tocantins states". Rough Guides. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  16. ^ UNEP-WCMC. (n.d.). Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks. World Heritage Datasheet. Retrieved December 2, 2025, from http://world-heritage-datasheets.unep-wcmc.org/datasheet/output/site/cerrado-protected-areas-chapada-dos-veadeiros-and-emas-national-parks/
  17. ^ Correio Braziliense. (2025, September 12). Esta cidade goiana é um refúgio turístico que poucos conhecem. Retrieved December 2, 2025, from https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/aqui/2025/09/12/esta-cidade-goiana-e-um-refugio-turistico-que-poucos-conhecem-e-nao-sabem-o-que-estao-perdendo/
  18. ^ Ferreira, Manuel E.; Ferreira, Laerte G.; Latrubesse, Edgardo M.; Miziara, Fausto (2013-10-10). "Considerations about the land use and conversion trends in the savanna environments of Central Brazil under a geomorphological perspective". Journal of Land Use Science. 11 (1). Informa UK Limited: 33–47. doi:10.1080/1747423x.2013.845613. ISSN 1747-423X. S2CID 128533975.
  19. ^ Latrubesse, Edgardo (2009). "The Geomorphologic response of a large pristine alluvial river to tremendous deforestation in the South American Tropics: The case of the Araguaia River". Geomorphology. 113 (3–4): 239–252. Bibcode:2009Geomo.113..239L. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.03.014. hdl:11336/102246.
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