Mato Grosso do Sul means "Southern Thick Forest". The name comes from its northern neighbour state of Mato Grosso. Mato Grosso do Sul was a part of Mato Grosso until they were split in the 1970s. Many people wrongly refer to Mato Grosso do Sul as simply "Mato Grosso". This has caused the government to consider changing its name to "Pantanal", the world's largest wetlands which is in the state.