Triple Frontier facts for kids
The Triple Frontier (called Triple Frontera in Spanish and Tríplice Fronteira in Portuguese) is a special place where three countries meet: Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It's located where two big rivers, the Iguazú and the Paraná, join together.
Right near this meeting point are three important cities: Puerto Iguazú in Argentina, Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, and Ciudad del Este in Paraguay. This area is also close to the famous Iguazú Falls and the huge Itaipú hydroelectric plant, which generates electricity.
People Living Here
Many people live in the Triple Frontier area, mostly in the three main border cities. The largest city is Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, with about 299,000 people in 2018. Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil has around 300,000 people, and Puerto Iguazú in Argentina is the smallest with about 82,000 people.
Other nearby cities in Paraguay, like Porto Franco, Hernandarias, and Minga Guazú, also add to the population. All together, nearly 950,000 people live in the Triple Frontier region. There are also many people from Arab and other Asian backgrounds who have moved here, making up about 30,000 of the city residents.
Fun for Visitors
The Triple Frontier is a very popular place for tourists. You can visit the Tancredo Neves bridge, which connects Puerto Iguazú in Argentina with Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil.
At the exact spot where the three countries meet, each country has put up a special monument called an obelisk. These obelisks are painted with the colors of their country's flag. From any one of these obelisks, you can see the other two countries!
Did you know there's a huge underground water source called the Guarani Aquifer right beneath this area? It's one of the biggest sources of fresh, clean drinking water in the world! Most of it (about 71%) is under Brazil.
Keeping the Area Safe
Because the Triple Frontier is where three countries meet, it can sometimes be a place where organized crime and illegal activities happen. The unique geography and different laws can make it tricky to keep track of everything.
To help with this, the three countries work together. Since 1996, they have had something called the Tripartite Command of the Triple Frontier. This group helps them coordinate and monitor the area. In 2002, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and the United States (called the "3+1 Group") also started working together to make the region even safer. In 2005, the three main countries planned to create a joint center in Foz do Iguaçu to share information and keep an eye on things.
Even though there have been some concerns about money being sent to groups that cause trouble, tourist groups in Foz do Iguaçu and even the U.S. State Department have said that reports of widespread terrorist activity in the region are not accurate. The focus is on cooperation to ensure safety and security for everyone.
See also
- Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana (UNILA)
- Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Western Paraná State University [Unioeste])
- Tripoint
