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Rio São Francisco is a river in Brazil with a length of 3,160 kilometres. It originates in the state of Minas Gerais. It runs generally north behind the coastal range draining an area of over 630,000 square kilometers before turning east to form the border between the state of Bahia and the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas before entering the Atlantic between the states of Alagoas and Sergipe. The river is navigable from the coast to Paulo Afonso by small vessels and from Paulo Afonso's huge lake for approximately 1,800 kilometers. Until the hydroelectric dams at Paulo Afonso the entire river was a major route of commerce and entry into the hinterland of the northeast. Paulo Afonso's hydroelectric plant now provides electric power for the entire northeast.
The São Francisco has great importance in history and particularly in folklore. That history is celebrated in song, legend and souvenirs based on the Carrancas that once kept river demons from São Francisco boats. Tourist shops far from the river have modernized versions of these vanishing originals. The stories of river demons and monsters persist today.
From Paulo Afonso to the historic town of Penedo, Alagoas the river lies at the bottom of a gorge or steep sided valley. Piranhas, a town up river, was once to be the terminus of a railroad. The town has a number of buildings built during this period and later abandoned. They have been restored and are emerging as a tourist attraction.
See also: Companhia Hidro-Elétrica do São Francisco
External link
- Main Brazilian Hydrographic Basins (http://www.brcactaceae.org/hydrography.html#francisco) (Map and brief description.)
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