| Pantanal | |
|---|---|
 Typical Pantanal scenery | |
 Map of the Pantanal ecoregion | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Neotropical |
| Biome | Flooded grasslands and savannas |
| Geography | |
| Area | 195,000 km2 (75,000 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| Conservation | |
| Global 200 | Pantanal flooded savannas |
| Location | Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay |
| Criteria | Natural: (vii), (ix), (x) |
| Reference | 999 |
| Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
| Area | 187,818 km2 (72,517 sq mi) |
| Coordinates | 17°24′S 57°30′W / 17.400°S 57.500°W |
| Official name | Pantanal Matogrossense |
| Designated | 24 May 1993 |
| Reference no. | 602[1] |
| Official name | El Pantanal Boliviano |
| Designated | 17 September 2001 |
| Reference no. | 1089[2] |
  Location of Pantanal in Brazil  Pantanal (South America) | |
The Pantanal (Portuguese pronunciation: [pɐ̃taˈnaw]) is a natural region encompassing the world's largest tropical wetland area, and the world's largest flooded grasslands. It is located mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but it extends into Mato Grosso and portions of Bolivia and Paraguay. It sprawls over an area estimated at between 140,000 and 195,000 km2 (54,000 and 75,000 sq mi). Various subregional ecosystems exist, each with distinct hydrological, geological, and ecological characteristics; up to 12 of them have been defined.[3][4][5][6][7]
Roughly 80% of the Pantanal floodplains are submerged during the rainy seasons, nurturing a biologically diverse collection of aquatic plants and helping to support a dense array of animal species.
- ^ "Pantanal Matogrossense". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
- ^ "El Pantanal Boliviano". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
- ^ McClain, Michael E. (2002). The Ecohydrology of South American Rivers and Wetlands. International Association of Hydrological Sciences. ISBN 1-901502-02-3. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ Susan Mcgrath, photos by Joel Sartore (August 2005) "Brazil's Wild Wet", National Geographic Magazine.
- ^ Keddy, Paul; Fraser, Lauchlan (2005). The World's Largest Wetlands: Ecology and Conservation. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ Butler, Rhett A. (January 10, 2006). "Pantanal, the world's largest wetland, disappearing finds new report". mongabay.com. Retrieved 2006-01-10.
- ^ "The World's largest wetland". The Nature Conservancy. Archived from the original on 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2008-01-21.