Triple Frontier

The Triple Frontier (in Spanish, Hito Tres Fronteras, the Three Borders Landmark) is the tri-border area along the junction of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil near the cities of Ciudad del Este, Alto Paraná; Puerto Iguazú, Misiones and Foz do Iguassu, Paraná respectively and is the location of the Iguassu Falls and the Itaipu, the largest hydroelectric plant in the world.

At the Hito Tres Fronteras, the Iguazú and the Paraná rivers converge. It is an important tourist area, within the touristic subregion of the Región de las Aguas Grandes, with key hydroelectric resources. Visitors can see the Tancredo Neves bridge, which connects the Argentine city of Puerto Iguazú and its Brazilian neighbor, Foz do Iguazú.

At this landmark, one can see the three countries at once. Furthermore, a visitor can see an obelisk in each country, painted with the national colors of the country in which it is located. Also, there is an artisanal fair at this landmark, where one can buy artisanal and artistic works characteristic of the surrounding area.

The frontier is very lightly-guarded and serves as a haven for car theft, counterfeiting, arms and drug trafficking, smuggling, money laundering, and other illicit activities.

In 2002 the United States Treasury Department mentioned in a memo that there are "clear examples" of Islamic groups in the region that "finance terrorist activities". Groups like Egypt's al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya, Islamic Jihad, Hizballah, and Al Qaeda are believed to draw some of their funding from activities in the Triple Frontier.

The Triple Frontier should not be confused with Tres Fronteras, at the common border among Brazil, Peru, and Colombia.

See also

• Tripoint
• Four Corners