São Francisco River in the context of "Pernambuco"

Play Trivia Questions online!

or

Skip to study material about São Francisco River in the context of "Pernambuco"

Ad spacer

⭐ Core Definition: São Francisco River

The São Francisco River (Portuguese: Rio São Francisco, pronounced [ˈʁiu sɐ̃w fɾɐ̃ˈsisku]), known in English as the San Francisco River, is a large river in Brazil. With a length of 2,914 kilometres (1,811 mi), it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil (after the Amazon, the Paraná and the Madeira). It is also locally known as the Velho Chico (pronounced [ˈvɛʎu ˈtʃiku]; lit.'Old Chico'), and was once known as the Opara by the Indigenous people before colonization.

The São Francisco originates in the Canastra mountain range in the central-western part of the state of Minas Gerais. It runs generally north in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia, behind the coastal range, draining an area of over 630,000 square kilometres (240,000 sq mi), before turning east to form the border between Bahia on the right bank and the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas on the left one. After that, it ends on the boundaries between the states of Alagoas and Sergipe and washes into the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to the five states which the São Francisco directly traverses or borders, its drainage basin also includes tributaries from the state of Goiás and the Federal District.

↓ Menu

>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
In this Dossier

São Francisco River in the context of Paranaíba River

The Paranaíba River is a Brazilian river whose source lies in the state of Minas Gerais in the Mata da Corda mountains, municipality of Rio Paranaíba, at an altitude of 1,148 meters; on the other face of this mountain chain are the sources of the Abaeté river, tributary of the São Francisco River. The length of the river is approximately 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) up to the junction with the Grande River, both of which then form the Paraná River, at the point that marks the borders of the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Mato Grosso do Sul.

↑ Return to Menu

São Francisco River in the context of Minas Gerais

Minas Gerais (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈminɐz ʒeˈɾajs] ; English: /ˈmɪnəs əˈrs/ MIN-əs jə-RYS lit.'General Mines') is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 census. Located in the Southeast Region of the country, it is bordered to south and southwest by São Paulo; Mato Grosso do Sul to the west; Goiás and the Federal District to the northwest; Bahia to the north and northeast; Espírito Santo to the east; and Rio de Janeiro to the southeast. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte, is a major urban and finance center in Brazil, being the sixth most populous municipality in the country while its metropolitan area ranks as the third largest in Brazil with just over 5.8 million inhabitants, after those of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Minas Gerais' territory is subdivided into 853 municipalities, the largest number among Brazilian states.

The state's terrain is quite rugged and some of Brazil's highest peaks are located in its territory. It is also home to the source of some of Brazil's main rivers, such as the São Francisco, Grande, Paranaíba, Doce and Jequitinhonha rivers, which places it in a strategic position with regard to the country's water resources. It has a tropical climate, which varies from colder and humid in the south to semi-arid in its northern portion. All of these combined factors provide it with a rich fauna and flora distributed in the biomes that cover the state, especially the Cerrado and the threatened Atlantic Forest.

↑ Return to Menu

São Francisco River in the context of Bahia

Bahia (Brazilian Portuguese: [baˈi.ɐ] ; English: /bəˈ(h)iə/ bə-(H)EE-ə) is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest by area. Bahia's capital is the city of Salvador (formerly known as "Cidade do São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos", literally "City of the Holy Savior of the Bay of All the Saints"), on a spit of land separating the Bay of All Saints from the Atlantic. Once a stronghold of supporters of direct rule of Brazil by the Portuguese monarchy, and dominated by agricultural, slaving, and ranching interests, Bahia is now a predominantly working-class industrial and agricultural state. The state is home to 7% of the Brazilian population and produces 4.2% of the country's GDP. It is divided into 417 municipalities. The state has a strong tourism power in several regions of its territory beyond the Salvador, Morro de São Paulo, Porto Seguro, Ilhéus, Alto Cariri National Park, Itacaré, Juazeiro with São Francisco River, Lençóis-Chapada Diamantina, Bom Jesus da Lapa, São Desidério etc.

↑ Return to Menu

São Francisco River in the context of Serra da Canastra

The Canastra Mountains (Serra da Canastra)are a range of hills in the Minas Gerais state of southeastern Brazil. The headwaters of the São Francisco River begin at this range and it is the location of the Serra da Canastra National Park and the Casca d'Anta waterfall. The altitude ranges from 900 m to 1,496 m. Kimberlite sites in this range have proven to be a rich source of diamonds.

The São Francisco River also is the 4th longest river in South America, passing through tons of states like Pernambuco, Bahia, etc..

↑ Return to Menu

São Francisco River in the context of Tupinambá people

The Tupinambá (plural: Tupinambás) are one of the various Tupi ethnic groups that inhabit present-day Brazil, and who had been living there long before the conquest of the region by Portuguese colonial settlers. The name Tupinambá was also applied to other Tupi-speaking groups, such as the Tupiniquim, Potiguara, Tupinambá, Temiminó, Caeté, Tabajara, Tamoio, and Tupinaé, among others. Before and during their first contact with the Portuguese, the Tupinambás had been living along the entire Eastern Atlantic coast of Brazil.

In a sense, the name can be applied exclusively to the Tupinambás who once inhabited the right shore of the São Francisco River (in the Recôncavo Baiano, Bahia), and from the Cabo de São Tomé (in Rio de Janeiro) to the town of São Sebastião (in São Paulo). Their language survives today in the form of Nheengatu.

↑ Return to Menu