Atrato River

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The Río Atrato is a river of northwestern Colombia. It rises in the slopes of the Western Cordillera and flows almost due north to the Gulf of Urabá (or Gulf of Darién), where it forms a large, swampy delta. Its course crosses the department of Chocó, forming that department's border with neighbouring Antioquia on two occasions. Its total length is about 650 km (400 miles), and it is navigable as far as Quibdó (400 km / 250 mi).

Flowing through a narrow valley between the Cordillera and coastal range, it has only short tributaries, the principal ones being the Río Truando, the Río Sucio, and the Río Murri. The gold and platinum mines of Chocó line some of its confluents, and the river sands are auriferous.

The Atrato at one time attracted considerable attention as a feasible route for a trans-isthmian canal, but any such plans were abandoned in favour of the Panama Canal.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.