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Iguazu Falls Facts & Worksheets

Iguazu Falls is located on the Argentinian and Brazilian borders, dividing the Iguazu River into upper and lower levels.

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The Iguazu Falls is a popular semicircular waterfall on Misiones, Argentina‘s border with Parana, Brazil, belonging to both nations. It stands around 80 meters tall and has a diameter of 2,700 meters. It is surrounded by a subtropical rainforest with over 2,000 plant species and various wildlife.

See the fact file below for more information about Iguazu Falls, or download the comprehensive worksheet pack, which contains over 11 worksheets and can be used in the classroom or homeschooling environment.

Key Facts & Information

Iguazu Falls

  • It is the world’s largest waterfall system, dividing the Iguazu River into upper and lower Iguazu, which rises near Curitiba City.
  • It got its name from the Guarani words “y” and “uasu,” which mean water and large, respectively.
  • In 1541, the Spanish conquistador Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca was the first European to discover the existence of the falls.

Legends

  • According to one legend, the river was home to Boi, a large snake. It was so fierce that the river’s inhabitants had to sacrifice a woman yearly to offer to Boi. The sacrificial woman was once kidnapped to prevent her from being killed, and she escaped through the river with the brave guarani who kidnapped her. In a rage, the large snake bent its body and split the river, resulting in cataracts separating the man and the woman.
  • The other legend told of a deity who wanted to marry Naipi, a beautiful woman who had a mortal lover named Taroba. Naipi fled in a canoe with Taroba, enraging the deity. The deity sliced the river to condemn the lovers to an eternal fall and to create waterfalls from the sliced river.

Geology and Geography

  • Three layers of basalt formed the waterfall’s two-step appearance, with heights of 35 and 40 meters.
  • The layers of basalt control its shape. Its columnar basalt rock sequences are part of the Paleozoic-Mesozoic Paraná Basin’s Serra Geral formation, with highly resistant vesicular basalt on top.
  • Many islands along its 2.7-kilometer-long edge divide it into 150 to 300 waterfalls and cataracts, depending on water level, ranging from 60 to 82 meters, depending on the water level.
  • Almost half of the river’s flow enters the so-called Devil’s Throat, a long and narrow chasm.
  • Another section of the river forms 160-200 individual falls to the left of the Devil’s Throat canyon, which is 80 to 90 meters wide and 70 to 80 meters deep. When there is flooding, these fronts merge into a single front.
  • San Martin, Adam and Eva, Penoni, and Bergano are the system’s largest falls.
  • Its lower portion is drained into the Parana River, resulting in no water flowing along its 900-meter length.
  • Its intersection serves as a border crossing between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. The border is a popular tourist attraction in Brazil’s Foz do Iguaçu, Argentina’s Puerto Iguaz, and Paraguay’s Ciudad del Este.

Distribution Between Argentina and Brazil

  • The Devil’s Throat canyon serves as the border between Argentina and Brazil.
  • On the right bank, more than 95% of the river is considered Brazilian territory, while the other side is considered Argentina territory.
  • However, only 20% of the falls’ jumps are on the right side, while the other 80% are on the left side.

Climate

  • The region has a dry subtropical climate with abundant precipitation and high temperatures all year.
  • The river experienced a severe drought during the summer of 2006, reducing the amount of water flowing over the falls to 300 cubic meters per second. This unusually lasted until early December, even though dry spells normally last only a few weeks.
  • Usually, the falls have the most water flowing over them from December to February, when there is the most rainfall.

Tourism

  • Aerolineas Argentinas, Argentina’s largest airline, offers direct flights from Buenos Aires to Iguazu International Airport, an airport in Misiones Province that provides access to the falls through the city of Puerto Iguazu. On the other hand, Brazilian airlines Azul, GOL, and LATAM Brasil offer flights from the country’s major cities to Foz do Iguacu, a city in the state of Parana.
  • Tourists can fly into the two main access points to the falls, Foz does Iguacu and Puerto Iguazu.
  • The falls are featured in two separate parks in both countries, Iguazu National Park and Iguacu National Park, which were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1986.
  • Engineer Andre Reboucas stated in his book Provinces of Parana, Railways to Mato Grosso, and Bolivia that a Brazilian national park was originally proposed to be developed as a pristine environment. It began the preservation campaign for the falls in 1876.

In Brazil

  • As an extension to the lower base of the Devil’s Throat, Iguacu National Park in Brazil built a walkway along the canyon.
  • The park also provides helicopter rides to provide aerial views of the falls, but Argentina has prohibited such tours due to the potential risk to the falls’ flora and fauna.
  • The park can be reached by taxi or bus from the airport in Foz do Iguacu.
  • There is an entrance fee, but there are free bus rides within the park that travel through various points.
  • Their transportation system aims to reduce environmental impact while increasing visitor numbers by increasing the average number of passengers per vehicle traveling within the park, with double-deck buses now having a 72-passenger capacity.

In Argentina

  • It can be accessed through the Rainforest Ecological Train, where the visitors were brought to the entrance of Devil’s Throat and the upper and lower trails.
  • The Paseo Garganta del Diablo is a one-kilometer-long trail that takes visitors over the Devil’s Throat Falls.
  • The extended stretch is accessible via forest walkways and boats connecting to San Martin Island.
  • Tourists can get close to the falls by renting an inflatable boat from the park.
  • Swimming is prohibited in all of its main areas for safety reasons due to the drawth of the falls, but there is a small waterfall about four kilometers away where swimming is permitted.

Recognition

UNESCO World Heritage Convention

  • It was voted to be in the Seven Wonders of the World but did not rank among the top seven. Nonetheless, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention recognized it based on criteria vii and x.
  • UNESCO designated the Iguazu National Park in Misiones Province at Argentina’s northeastern tip as a World Heritage Site in 1984, while its sister property received similar recognition in 1986.
  • The seventh selection criterion was one of the criteria that the parks containing the falls passed because the parks were able to conserve one of the world’s largest and most spectacular falls.
  • The tenth criterion also passed because of the rich biodiversity it contains.

Movies and T.V. Shows

  • The falls have been featured in many movies, and T.V shows, including:
    • Moonraker (1979)
    • Mr. Magoo (1997)
    • Miami Vice (2006)
    • Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
    • Captain America: Civil War (2016)
    • Black Panther (2018)

World Heritage Sites: Iguazu Falls Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Iguazu Falls across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use World Heritage Sites: Iguazu Falls worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Iguazu Falls, which is located on the Argentinian and Brazilian borders, dividing the Iguazu River into upper and lower levels. It is the largest waterfall system in the world, standing between 197-269 feet high and 1.7 miles wide. Both parks, Iguazu National Park (Argentina) and Iguacu National Park (Brazil) became UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1987, respectively.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Iguazu Falls Facts.
  • Iguazu Falls Wordsearch.
  • Map of South America.
  • Iguazu Falls Quiz.
  • Iguazu Falls Crossword.
  • Legend of Iguazu Falls.
  • Our Five Senses.
  • Opinion Paragraph.
  • Math is in the Water!
  • Conquistador Who?
  • Iguazu Falls Acrostic.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is so special about Iguazu Falls?

It stands around 80 meters tall and has a diameter of 2,700 meters. It is surrounded by a subtropical rainforest with over 2,000 plant species and various wildlife. Many islands along its 2.7-kilometer-long edge divide it into 150 to 300 waterfalls and cataracts, ranging from 60 to 82 meters, depending on the water level.

Is Iguazu Falls in Argentina or Brazil?

The Devil’s Throat canyon serves as the border between Argentina and Brazil. On the right bank, more than 95% of the river is considered Brazilian territory, while the other side is considered Argentina territory.

What country is Iguazu Falls?

The Iguazu Falls is a popular semicircular waterfall on Misiones, Argentina’s border with Parana, Brazil, belonging to both nations.

Is Iguazu Falls one of the 7 Wonders of the World?

It was voted to be in the Seven Wonders of the World but did not rank among the top seven. Nonetheless, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention recognized it based on criteria vii and x.

Can you swim in Iguazu Falls?

Swimming is prohibited in all of its main areas for safety reasons due to the drawth of the falls, but there is a small waterfall about four kilometers away where swimming is permitted.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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