The Paraná River (Portuguese: Rio Paraná [ˈʁi.u paɾaˈna] ; Spanish: Río Paraná [ˈri.o paɾaˈna] ; Guarani: Ysyry Parana) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some 4,880 kilometres (3,030 mi). Among South American rivers, it is second in length only to the Amazon River. It merges with the Paraguay River and then farther downstream with the Uruguay River to form the Río de la Plata and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The first European to go up the Paraná River was the Venetian explorer Sebastian Cabot, in 1526, while working for Spain. A drought hit the river in 2021, causing a 77-year low.
