Pantanal
| 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 |
| Official name | El Pantanal Boliviano |
| Designated | 17 September 2001 |
| Reference no. | 1089 |
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.
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.