The Iguazú National Park, known as Parque Nacional Iguazú in Spanish, is a national park in Argentina. It is located in the Iguazú Department, in the north of Misiones province, in Argentine Mesopotamia. The park covers an area of 677 square kilometers (261 square miles).

History

The area of the park was home to the hunter-gatherers of the Eldoradense culture 10,000 years ago. Around 1,000 CE, they were replaced by the Guaraní people, who introduced new farming methods. Later, the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadores arrived in the 16th century and displaced the Guaraní. The Guaraní’s influence remains today, as the park and river are named "Guaraní y guasu," meaning "large water" in their language. The first European to visit the area was Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1542. Jesuit missions were established in 1609.

The park was created in 1934 to protect one of Argentina’s most beautiful natural wonders, the Iguazu Falls, which are surrounded by subtropical rainforests.

The Iguazú National Reserve was officially established by Law 18.801 on October 7, 1970, and covers the western part of the Iguazú National Park. While the national park focuses on preserving nature with minimal changes, the reserve allows some human activities and infrastructure. The reserve’s creation made it possible to build an international airport and to transfer land for three tourist hotels. Across the Iguazu River is the Brazilian Iguaçu National Park. Both parks were recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984.

The park is part of a proposed Trinational Biodiversity Corridor, which seeks to connect forests between conservation areas in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina in the Upper Paraná ecoregion. The southeastern part of the park borders the Urugua-í Provincial Park, which covers 84,000 hectares (210,000 acres) and was established in 1990.

Fauna

The park is located in the Alto Paraná Atlantic forests region. The animals living in the park include several rare and endangered species, such as jaguar, jaguarundi, South American tapir, ocelot, tirica, anteater, black-fronted piping guan, harpy eagle, and yacare caiman. Visitors may also see birds like the great dusky swift and large toucans, mammals like the coatí, and many types of butterflies. The vinaceous amazon, a bird with deep red feathers, is sometimes spotted in the park.

The Iguazú River flows into the Paraná River 23 kilometers past the falls after traveling 1,320 kilometers. Within the park, the river can be up to 1,500 meters wide. It first flows south and then turns north, creating a large U-shaped curve. The riverbanks are covered with trees, including the ceibo tree, also known as the Cockspur coral tree, which is Argentina's national flower. The park's plant life includes lapacho negro and lapacho amarillo (both part of the Bignoniaceae family), palmito trees, and the 40-meter-tall palo rosa (from the Apocynaceae family).

Gallery

• Plush-crested Jay (Scientific Name: Cyanocorax chrysops)
• Multiple views of a waterfall
• Distant view of a waterfall
• Ecological Train