Which is the second longest river in South America?

Paraná River is a river of South America, the second longest after the Amazon.

It rises on the plateau of southeast-central Brazil and flows generally south to the point where, after a course of 3,032 miles (4,880 km), it joins the Uruguay River to form the extensive Río de la Plata estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the 14th longest river in the world and passes through Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

From its origin at the confluence of the Grande and Paranaíba rivers to its junction with the Paraguay River, the river is known as the Alto (Upper) Paraná. The Alto Paraná has two zones of vegetation, forests to the east and savanna to the west. Its basin has a hot and humid climate year round, with dry winters and rainy summers.

When it is joined by the Paraguay, it becomes the lower Paraná and commences to flow only through Argentine territory. The climate of the middle and lower basins ranges from subtropical in the north to temperate humid in the south, with less plentiful rainfall.

The Paraná River has a rich and varied animal life that includes many species of edible fish.

Much of the length of the Paraná is navigable, and the river serves as an important waterway linking inland cities in Argentina and Paraguay with the ocean, providing deepwater ports in some of these cities.