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Río de la Plata

The Río de la Plata (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈri.o ðe la ˈplata] ; lit. 'River of Silver'), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and forms a funnel-shaped indentation on the southeastern coastline of South America. Depending on the geographer, the Río de la Plata may be considered a river, an estuary, a gulf, or a marginal sea.[3][7] If considered a river, it is the widest in the world, with a maximum width of 220 kilometres (140 mi).

For other uses, see Río de la Plata (disambiguation) and River Plate (disambiguation).

Río de la Plata
River Plate, La Plata River

Spanish for "river of silver"

Argentina and Uruguay

Confluence of Paraná and Uruguay rivers

Argentina/Uruguay

34°0′5″S 58°23′37″W / 34.00139°S 58.39361°W / -34.00139; -58.39361[1]

Atlantic Ocean

Argentine Sea, Argentina

35°40′S 55°47′W / 35.667°S 55.783°W / -35.667; -55.783[2]

290 km (180 mi)[3] 4,876 km (3,030 mi) including the Paraná

3,170,000 km2 (1,220,000 sq mi)[4] 3,182,064 km2 (1,228,602 sq mi)[5]

 

Río de la Plata, Atlantic Ocean

(Period 1971-2010)

27,225 m3/s (961,400 cu ft/s)[5] 22,000 m3/s (780,000 cu ft/s)[3]

884 km3/a (28,000 m3/s)[6]

12,000 m3/s (420,000 cu ft/s)

50,000 m3/s (1,800,000 cu ft/s)

 

Uruguay River, San Juan River, Santa Lucía River

Paraná River, Luján River, Salado River

The river is about 290 kilometres (180 mi) long and widens from about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) at its source to about 220 kilometres (140 mi) at its mouth.[8] It forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay. The name Río de la Plata is also used to refer to the populations along the estuary, especially the main port cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, where Rioplatense Spanish is spoken and tango culture developed. The coasts of the river are the most densely populated areas of Uruguay and Argentina.[3]

English names[edit]

The historical English name "River Plate" uses an obsolete sense of the word "plate", which was used extensively as a term for "silver" or "gold" from the 12th century onwards, especially in Early Modern English.[29] The estuary has been known as the River Plate or Plate River in English since at least the time of Francis Drake.[30] This English version of the name served as an inspiration for one of Argentina's most important football clubs, Club Atlético River Plate.


A more literal translation of the name is "Silver River", though this is virtually never used in practice.

Fauna[edit]

The Río de la Plata is a habitat for the loggerhead sea turtle, green sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, the rare La Plata dolphin, and many species of fish.

Rioplatense Spanish

Argentina–Uruguay relations

1973 Boundary Treaty between Uruguay and Argentina

The , in Rome's Piazza Navona, contains a figure representing the River Plate.

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

1888 Río de la Plata earthquake

Treaty between Uruguay and Argentina concerning the Rio de la Plata and the Corresponding Maritime Boundary (19 November 1973)

is a map from 1616 depicting the area

Paraguay, or the Province of the Rio de la Plata, with the Adjacent Regions Tucamen and Santa Cruz de la Sierra

from 1698

"An Account of a Voyage up the River de la Plata, and Thence over Land to Peru: With Observations on the Inhabitants, as Well as Indians and Spaniards, the Cities, Commerce, Fertility, and Riches of That Part of America"

. New International Encyclopedia. 1905.

"Plata, Rio de la"