Lagoa Mirim

Where is Lagoa Mirim?

Countries on its shores: Brazil, Uruguay.

Largest lake of: Brazil, Uruguay.

Middle of the lake: 32.73° S, 53.05° W

The story behind it

The border between Brazil and Uruguay runs right through Lagoa Mirim. The lake is more than 170 km long but shallow: only one or two metres deep in the north and about five to six metres in the south. Its name comes from the Tupi-Guarani word mirĩ, which means "small" – a funny name for such a big lake! The Cebollatí and Tacuarí rivers bring water from Uruguay, and the Jaguarão river forms part of the border. In the north, the São Gonçalo Canal links the lake with the even bigger Lagoa dos Patos, which is open to the sea. Since 1977 a lock has kept salty sea water out, so the lake stays fresh, and cities like Pelotas and Rio Grande use its water. Brazil's Lagoa dos Patos is larger, but because it is open to the sea, Lagoa Mirim counts here as Brazil's largest lake.

Find it on the globe

Lagoa Mirim is there as a small blue dot with its name, right on the water. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.

It sits at its real coordinates, not near them — the same numbers listed in the facts above. Switch off the layer for this kind of place and it disappears again; the buttons for that are down the right-hand edge.