What does this number measure?
São Francisco is presented in the South America group. The comparison follows a reference course rather than a straight-line distance. The documented value is rounded; the choice of source, lakes crossed, meanders and river mouth can affect the published length. The references consulted disagree: 2 830 km in the entry's infobox, 2 914 km in its text and 3 180 km in the world table. The 2 914 km reference is conventional, not a certain value.
This length follows the course adopted by the catalogue. Maps show simplified, sometimes partial courses; an independent bar represents the documented length, distinct from straight-line distance.
Compare the stated dimensions
The comparison uses the number in each fact sheet: altitude, height, diameter, length or distance, depending on the reference. Two values in metres do not necessarily describe the same property.
Source and limitations
The sources consulted differ: 2 830 km in the entry's infobox, 2 914 km in its text and 3 180 km in the world table. The reference of 2 914 km is conventional, not a certain value.
Top view of a simplified geographic course of São Francisco, based on the available mapped segments. The reference drawing may be partial, and river systems may combine several branches. River width and the textures of water and banks are interpreted; this is not a satellite photograph. Only the lower bar represents the documented reference length; the width of the map above does not measure that length. Course data: Natural Earth, public domain. License: Public domain.