Mato Grosso do Sul

Mato Grosso do Sul is a state in central-western Brazil, celebrated for the Pantanal wetlands and the crystal-clear rivers of Bonito. Its capital is Campo Grande. A leading center of cattle ranching and ecotourism, it offers some of the best wildlife viewing in South America.

The state contains a large share of the Pantanal, a vast seasonally flooded wetland teeming with wildlife, alongside cerrado savanna and the clear-water rivers and caves of the Bonito region. It borders Paraguay and Bolivia. The climate is tropical.

Its culture blends Pantaneiro cowboy traditions, strong Paraguayan and Indigenous influences near the border, and a cuisine featuring beef and river fish. Tradition of tereje, a chilled mate drink, is widespread.

Long a ranching frontier and the site of the Paraguayan War in the 19th century, the region was separated from Mato Grosso to become its own state in 1977. Cattle and ecotourism drive its economy.