Aconcagua River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aconcagua |
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| River | |
 The Aconcagua river
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| Country | Chile |
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| Region | Valparaíso |
| Provinces | Los Andes, San Felipe de Aconcagua, Petorca, Quillota, Valparaíso |
| Comunas | Los Andes, San Felipe, Quillota, Concón |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | San Pedro de Inacaliri, Salado |
| - right | San Salvador |
| Cities | Los Andes, San Felipe |
| Source confluence | Juncal and Blanco River |
| - location | Andes, Valparaíso, Chile |
| - elevation | 1,430 m (4,692 ft) |
| Mouth | Pacific Ocean |
| - location | Concón, Valparaíso, Chile |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| - coordinates | 32°54′54″S 71°30′30″W / 32.91500°S 71.50833°W |
| Length | 142 km (88 mi) |
| Basin | 7,340 km² (2,834 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| - average | 1,400 m³/s (49,441 cu ft/s) |
The Aconcagua River is a river in Chile. It flows from east to west through the Valparaíso region in central Chile. This river then empties into the Pacific Ocean. Its mouth is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the city of Valparaíso.
Even though it shares a name with Aconcagua mountain, the river does not start there. The mountain is actually in Argentina. The river's beginning is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) away, within Chilean territory.
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Geography of the Aconcagua River
The Aconcagua River is 142 kilometers (88 miles) long. It has a large drainage basin, which is the area of land where all the water flows into this river. This area covers about 7,340 square kilometers (2,834 square miles).
Where the Aconcagua River Starts
The Aconcagua River begins high up in the Andes mountains. It starts at an elevation of about 1,430 meters (4,690 feet) above sea level. The river forms where two smaller rivers meet:
- The Juncal river: This river is 35 kilometers (22 miles) long. It starts in the Nevado Juncal mountain.
- The Blanco river: This river is 15 kilometers (9 miles) long.
The River's Journey
From its start, the Aconcagua River flows through the Aconcagua valley. Before reaching the city of Los Andes, another river joins it. This is the Colorado river, which is 58 kilometers (36 miles) long and flows into the Aconcagua from the right side.
After passing San Felipe, the Putaendo river joins the Aconcagua. The Putaendo is 34 kilometers (21 miles) long and also flows in from the right. The Aconcagua River continues to flow west. It passes through cities like La Calera and Quillota in the Quillota province.
Finally, the Aconcagua River reaches the city of Concón. Here, in the Valparaíso province, the river flows into the Pacific Ocean.
Main Rivers Joining the Aconcagua
Many smaller rivers and streams flow into the Aconcagua River. These are called tributaries. Here are some of the main ones:
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Left tributaries:
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Right tributaries:
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Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Río Aconcagua para niños
