Brazil’s Mato Grosso is nearly as large as the world’s biggest national park

Main Points

• Mato Grosso is nearly as large as the world’s biggest national park
• The Brazilian state spans three major ecosystems
• Northeast Greenland National Park covers about 972,000 sq km

Brazil’s vast state of Mato Grosso covers an area approaching that of Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s largest national park, highlighting the immense geographical scale of one of Brazil’s most environmentally significant regions.

Mato Grosso spans roughly 900,000 square kilometres, making it one of Brazil’s largest states. World Atlas lists the state at about 906,807 sq km, while the graphic puts its area at 903,357 sq km.

By comparison, Northeast Greenland National Park covers about 972,000 sq km, according to World Atlas. That makes the Greenland park roughly 7% larger than Mato Grosso and bigger than most countries.

Mato Grosso’s scale is particularly significant because its territory stretches across some of South America’s most important natural environments, including areas associated with the Amazon rainforest, the Cerrado and the Pantanal.

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The Pantanal, which extends across parts of Mato Grosso and neighbouring Mato Grosso do Sul as well as Bolivia and Paraguay, is one of the world's largest tropical wetland systems. Mato Grosso also contains Pantanal Matogrossense National Park, an important protected section of the wetland.

The comparison illustrates just how large the Brazilian state is. At more than 900,000 sq km, Mato Grosso would cover about 93% of Northeast Greenland National Park’s area.

Northeast Greenland National Park was established in 1974 and expanded in 1988. It stretches across Greenland’s northeastern coastline and deep into its Arctic interior. Much of the park is covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Despite its enormous territory, the park has no permanent civilian population. Its wildlife includes polar bears, Arctic foxes, walruses, Arctic hares and musk oxen, while seals, whales and narwhals inhabit surrounding waters.

Greenland itself covers about 2.17 million sq km, meaning the national park accounts for a substantial portion of the world's largest island.

The comparison puts Mato Grosso’s dimensions into perspective. A single Brazilian state is only about 69,000 sq km smaller than a national park so vast that it exceeds the territory of most sovereign countries.