The Chapada dos Guimarães National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimarães) is located in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The area has rough land with tall cliffs and waterfalls. It is home to the center of the continent.
Background
The park's history begins on September 13, 1910, when Colonel Pedro Celestino Corrêa da Costa, the vice president of Mato Grosso, worried about the damage to plants and trees in the beginning areas of the Coxipó-açu, Manso, and Cuiabá rivers, declared the area important for the public. In 1984, a group of environmentalists, artists, and intellectuals in the state started a petition to protest against the government's plan to build a tourist area near the park. In February 1986, groups worked together to start a national campaign to ask President José Sarney to create the national park. The park was officially created three years later.
Location
The park was established on April 12, 1989, by Law 97.656, covering an area of 32,630 hectares (80,600 acres). It is located in the municipalities of Cuiabá and Chapada dos Guimarães. The goal is to protect important parts of the local ecosystems and preserve natural and archaeological sites. It also allows for activities such as visiting, education, and research.
The park is part of the Pantanal Biosphere Reserve, which includes the Pantanal, Emas, and Serra da Bodoquena national parks, as well as the Serra de Santa Bárbara and Nascentes do Rio Taquari, Pantanal de Rio Negro state parks. It is located in the upper Paraguay River basin, protecting the headwaters of the Cuiabá River, a major source of water for the Mato Grosso Pantanal. The word "Chapada" means a region with steep cliffs, often found at the edge of a plateau.
The geographical center of South America was once thought to be in Cuiabá, marked by a white marble obelisk. However, it is actually located in the park near the town of Chapada dos Guimarães at the "Mirante de Geodésia," a scenic lookout point.
Environment
The climate is tropical, with temperatures between 12 and 25 °C (54 to 77 °F) and yearly rainfall of 1,800 to 2,000 millimetres (71 to 79 in). Most rain falls during spring and summer, with small amounts in autumn and winter. The park’s landscape includes large hills and red sandstone cliffs that are 600 to 800 metres (2,000 to 2,600 ft) tall. Visitors can see mountain peaks, waterfalls, and caves.
The park is home to many animals, such as the Brazilian jaguar, puma, pampas deer, howler monkey, tapir, giant anteater, armadillo, maned wolf, greater rhea (also called ema), and seriema. Many birds, including parrots, swifts, and scarlet macaws, build nests in the sandstone cliffs. The park faces a risk of wildfires during the cooler, drier, and windier times of the year, often caused by human activities near or inside the park. Lightning does not appear to be a risk, as it is usually followed by rain.
- Mirante de Geodésia