The Zarumilla River is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

that marks the border between

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

. It is named after the Peruvian town of Zarumilla. Zarumilla River Peru-Ecuador border

It is part of the Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes mangroves Sanctuary and its currents, sediments, and tides strongly influence the geomorphology of the area. It empties into the

Gulf of Guayaquil The Gulf of Guayaquil is a large body of water of the Pacific Ocean in western South America. Its northern limit is the city of Santa Elena, in Ecuador, and its southern limit is Cabo Blanco, in Peru. The gulf takes its name from the city of Gua ...

. The largest towns on its banks are

Huaquillas Huaquillas (''Spanish:'' /wa.'ki.ʝas/) is a border town in western El Oro, Ecuador. It is the canton seat of the Huaquillas Canton. Huaquillas is located on the border with Peru. An international bridge that goes over the Zarumilla River conn ...

, in the Ecuadorian province of El Oro, and

Aguas Verdes Aguas Verdes (literally "green waters"), is a town in the Zarumilla Province of the Tumbes Region in northwestern Peru. It has a population of 2,390 (1999) and is capital of the Aguas Verdes District. Aguas Verdes is located in the border with ...

in the

Tumbes Region Tumbes () is a coastal department and region in northwestern Peru bordering Ecuador. Due to the region's location near the Equator it has a warm climate, with beaches that are considered among the finest in Peru. Despite its small area, the re ...

of Peru; both towns are connected by an international bridge. The water flows through a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

as the river passes these populated areas. Pollution is a problem in this part of the river, as people from both countries discharge their waste into the canal.

Border issues

In 1998, during

El Niño El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date ...

, the river changed its course, moving 1 square kilometre of land into its eastern margin. Ecuadorians took advantage of this situation, saying that the river is the natural

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

marker and therefore gives them rights in the affected area. The Peruvians argued that the area is sovereign Peruvian soil.

References

Relación Perú-Ecuador, Puntos de fricción
- Peruvian Army official website Rivers of Peru Border rivers Rivers of Ecuador Rivers of Tumbes Region International rivers of South America Ecuador–Peru border {{Peru-river-stub