Paraíba do Sul
river in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro e Minas Gerais, Brazil
The Paraíba do Sul (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʁi.u paɾaˈibɐ du ˈsuw]), or simply Paraíba, is a river in southeast Brazil. It flows 1,137 km (706 mi) west to northeast from its farthest source at the source of the river Paraitinga to the sea near Campos dos Goytacazes. The river receives its name when it meets the river Paraibuna at the Paraibuna dam.
Its main tributaries are the rivers Jaguari, Buquira, Paraibuna, Preto, Pomba and Muriaé. These last two are the longest and join the main river 140 km (87 mi) and 50 km (31 mi) from the mouth respectively .
The valley of the Paraíba do Sul ranges from the latitudes 20°26' and 23°39'S and the longitudes of 41° and 46°30'W and covers an area of about 57,000 km2 (22,000 mi2) distributed over three states. The main economic activities are industry and cattle raising.
Navigation
Presently only two parts of the river can be navigated:
The lower section, between the mouth and São Fidélis, about 90 km. It has a declivity of 22 cm/km. There is incipient navigation carried out by small boats that transport mainly construction material to the city of Campos dos Goytacazes.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Paraíba do Sul” as river in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro e Minas Gerais, Brazil. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as river in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro e Minas Gerais, Brazil. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1807293. VIAF identifies the subject as 125145857834023020373. The Library of Congress control number is sh85097809. Authority coordinates are -21.614, -41.011. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Paraíba do Sul”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Paraíba do Sul primary sources, Paraíba do Sul archive and Paraíba research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Paraíba do Sul”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Paraíba do Sul” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.