Itaipu Reservoir, Binational reservoir in Paraná state, Brazil and Paraguay.
The Itaipu Reservoir extends for 106 miles (170 kilometers) along the Paraná River, covering approximately 521 square miles (1,350 square kilometers) and containing 66 islands distributed between Brazilian and Paraguayan territories.
The reservoir was formed in 1982 following the construction of the Itaipu Dam, a project that began in the early 1970s as a bilateral agreement between Brazil and Paraguay for renewable energy development.
The name Itaipu derives from the Tupi language and translates to noise of the river of stones, referring to the turbulent waters of the Paraná River before the reservoir's creation.
The reservoir's formation submerged the Guaíra Falls and supports fifteen municipalities along its shores, including Foz do Iguaçu, Santa Helena, and Guaíra in Paraná state.
Since 1986, biodiversity studies have documented over three hundred bird species in the reservoir region, particularly on the Paraguayan side where native forests remain less disturbed by development.
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