River Plate

: This page discusses the estuary. For the football (soccer) team, see Club Atlético River Plate.

Related Topics:
Estuary - Football (soccer) - Club Atlético River Plate

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The River Plate (Spanish: Río de la Plata) is the estuary formed from the combination of the Uruguay River and the Parana River. It is a funnel-shaped indentation on the southern coast of South America, 290 km (180 miles) long.

Related Topics:
Spanish - Estuary - Uruguay River - Parana River - South America

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Where the rivers join it is 48 km (30 miles) wide, and it runs to the Southeast growing to 220 km (136 miles) wide where it opens on the Atlantic Ocean, which makes it the widest river in the world. It forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay, with the major ports of Buenos Aires in the southwest and Montevideo in the northeast.

Related Topics:
Southeast - Atlantic Ocean - Argentina - Uruguay - Buenos Aires - Montevideo

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An estimated 57 million m³ (2 billion cubic feet) of silt is carried into the estuary each year, where the muddy waters are stirred up by winds and tides. The shipping route from the Atlantic to Buenos Aires is kept open by constant dredging.

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