Which of the following major rivers of South America drains the second-largest river basin on the continent, flowing southward through Paraguay and Argentina before emptying into the Rio de la Plata estuary?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Parana River is the second-longest river in South America, draining the vast Plata basin across Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina before joining the Uruguay River to form the Rio de la Plata estuary on the Atlantic coast. The Amazon River constitutes the largest river basin in the world by discharge volume, situated further north. The Orinoco drains northern South America through Venezuela. Major river basins dictate continental interior settlement and navigation routes.