The largest rivers of the European part of Russia are the Volga, Kama, Oka, Don. The largest river in Europe The largest river in the European territory of our country

The reservoirs of our planet are beautiful, each of them is unique. But there are such rivers that flow through the whole country or several countries, striking with their size, rich flora and fauna. We present to your attention the TOP 6 largest rivers in Europe.

1. Volga (Russia)

The Russian Federation is the largest country, and it is she who can be proud of the longest river in Europe. We are talking about the Volga, the length of which exceeds 3500 km. The source of the Volga is hidden in the Tver region, it flows into the Caspian Sea, dividing the European part of the Russian Federation in half.

Along the banks of the Upper Volga, there are numerous forests, fields with agricultural crops, and gardens. Near the banks of the Lower Volga, there is a rich flora and fauna: 1.5 thousand species of insects and 200 species of birds. It is also important that 70 species of fish are found in the waters, 40 of them are commercial (bream, sturgeon, pike, ruff and others).

The Volga is strategically important, because the amount of fish caught from it provides 20% of the country's fishery. Hydroelectric power plants and reservoirs rise on the banks of the river, about half of the country's agricultural production is located in the basin.

2. Danube (10 European countries)

The source of this river can be found in the mountains of Germany. It flows through the lands of Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Croatia, Serbia, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria, flowing into the Black Sea. The length of the river exceeds 2800 km, the basin area reaches 800 thousand km, sometimes it is called the river of ten countries.

The Danube has one unique feature, which is that in a certain place it hides underground, leaving in the rocks. Not far from the source, the water is hidden under the ground, and after 12 km you can observe the Aah spring (key).

The Danube has clean water, because the river is fed from melted mountain snow, streams, groundwater. But the water is colored brown due to the fact that it contains a huge amount of silt particles. Therefore, the waters of the Danube can rightly be considered the most muddy in Europe.

3. Ural (Kazakhstan, Russia)

The third largest river in Europe is called the Ural, it flows through the regions of Russia and Kazakhstan. Its length exceeds 2.4 thousand km, the basin area reaches 230 thousand km. The majestic river originates on the Uraltau ridge, its winding water channel goes to the Caspian Sea.

This river is considered the border that conditionally separates Europe and Asia. The opinion is erroneous, but a monument was erected in Orenburg long ago, on which it is written that Europe is on one side of the reservoir, and Asia on the other.

Large industrial complexes are located near the water surface - this is a metallurgical plant, a reservoir, water from which is taken to irrigate fields for growing watermelons. The Ural meets half of the needs of the population of Kazakhstan in fish, so the river is of great economic importance for the development of this region.

4. Dnepr (Ukraine, Belarus, Russia)

The Dnieper (length 2200 km) flows through the territory of 3 fraternal countries - Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The longest channel is located in Ukraine (48%), where many large cities and villages have been built on the banks of the river.

The Dnieper is characterized by a calm flow, the source is in a small swamp located in the Smolensk region, flows into the Black Sea. The waters are rich in fish, there are 60 species, but due to the poor ecological situation, some species of fish are gradually disappearing.

The Dnieper plays a huge role for the economy and waterways of Ukraine. Industrial enterprises, hydroelectric power stations, dams are located on the shore, water is used to irrigate fields, passenger ships ply along the Dnieper.

Due to the active use of the resources of the Dnieper, serious environmental problems have arisen over the past 20 years. Some species of fish have disappeared from the waters, sewage pollution has been recorded, and waterlogging is occurring.

5. Don (Russia)

This famous river stretches for 1800 km across the territory of Russia, and its source is located in the city of Novomoskovsk (Tula region). It flows through the European part of the country, flowing into the Sea of ​​Azov.

The river is of great importance, because in its waters there are 65 species of fish, amphibians, reptiles. The basin is based near the forest-steppe and steppe zones, but the active plowing of the steppe lands has led to the fact that many representatives of the flora and fauna can no longer be seen in these territories.

Near the coast there are hydroelectric power plants, dams, in those areas where the depth allows, river boats go, although navigation is difficult.

6. Pechora (Russia)

Located in the Komi Republic, it ranks 6th in the list of the largest rivers in Europe. The length is 1800 km, the source is in the Northern Urals. Fishing is well developed here, and valuable deposits of oil, gas and minerals are concentrated in the Pechora basin.

Each of the above rivers is important for the regions through which it flows. The largest rivers in Europe provide a huge amount of water and electricity to large cities, fish are harvested from them, and the water is used for the development of agriculture.

Russia occupies a vast geographical area, and it is not surprising that numerous rivers spread over its expanses, which played an important historical role in the settlement and development of new lands. Almost all the largest cities of the country are located on the rivers.

In total, there are about 3 million rivers on the territory of the Russian Federation, and all of them are an important component of the life of many people, animals and plants. Rivers provide us with food, water, electricity, places for recreation, and also serve as transportation routes connecting different settlements. It is an irreplaceable source of water for agriculture and industry.

In this article, you can get acquainted with the largest rivers in Russia, get their brief description and see the geographical location on the map of the country.

Rivers of the Russian Federation

Map of the largest rivers of Russia

The territory of the country is divided into European and Asian parts. The dividing line, as a rule, is considered the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea. The rivers of the European part flow into the Arctic Ocean, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. The rivers of the Asian part flow into the Arctic and Pacific oceans.

The largest rivers in European Russia are the Volga, Don, Kama, Oka and Northern Dvina, while some rivers originate in Russia but flow into other countries, such as the Dnieper and Western Dvina. The following large rivers flow through the Asian expanses of the country: the Ob, Irtysh, Yenisei, Angara, Lena, Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma.

Of the five main drainage basins: the Arctic, Pacific, Baltic, Black Sea and Caspian, the first, located in Siberia and including the northern part of the Russian Plain, is the most extensive. To a greater extent, this basin is filled by the three largest rivers in Russia: the Ob (3650 km), which together with its main tributary, the Irtysh, forms a river system 5410 km long, the Yenisei (3487 km), and the Lena (4400 km). The sum of their catchment areas exceeds 8 million km², and the total water discharge is about 50,000 m³/s.

The major rivers of Siberia provide transport arteries from the interior to the Arctic Sea Route, although they are blocked by ice for a long period each year. The slight slope of the Ob River makes it slowly wind through the vast floodplain. Due to the flow to the north, from the upper reaches to the lower limits of the thaw, extensive floods occur quite often, which leads to the development of huge swamps. Vasyugan swamps on the Ob-Irtysh interfluve cover an area of ​​more than 50,000 km².

The rivers of the rest of Siberia (about 4.7 million km²) flow into the Pacific Ocean. In the north, where the watershed is close to the coast, numerous small, fast-flowing rivulets flow from the mountains, but most of southeastern Siberia is drained by the Amur River. For a larger segment of its length, the Amur forms the border separating Russia and China. The Ussuri, one of the tributaries of the Amur, forms another significant border line between the countries.

Three major drainage basins are located in the European part of Russia south of the Arctic Basin. The Dnieper, only the upper reaches of which are in Russia, as well as the Don and Volga, is the longest European river, originating in the north-west of the Valdai Upland and flowing into the Caspian Sea. Yielding only to the Siberian rivers, the Volga basin covers an area of ​​1,380,000 km². The rivers of the East European Plain have long served as important transport arteries; in fact, the Volga river system provides two-thirds of the movement of the entire Russian inland waterway.

10 largest and longest rivers in Russia

Many mighty rivers flow through the territory of the Russian Federation, but the size of some of them is truly impressive. Below is a list and maps of the largest rivers in the country, both by length and by catchment area.

Lena

The Lena River is one of the longest rivers in the world. It originates near Lake Baikal in southern Russia and flows west, and then, above Yakutsk, smoothly turns north, where it flows into the Laptev Sea (Arctic Ocean basin). Near the mouth, the river forms a huge delta of 32,000 km, which is the largest in the Arctic and the most extensive protected area of ​​wildlife in Russia.

The Lena Delta, which floods each spring, is an important nesting and migratory area for birds and supports a rich fish population. The river is inhabited by 92 planktonic species, 57 benthos species and 38 fish species. Sturgeon, burbot, chum salmon, whitefish, nelma and albula are the most commercially important fish species.

Swans, dippers, geese, ducks, plovers, waders, snipes, phalaropes, terns, skuas, birds of prey, sparrows and gulls are just some of the migratory birds that nest in the Lena's productive wetlands.

Ob

The Ob is the seventh longest river in the world, stretching for a distance of 3650 kilometers in the West Siberian region of the Russian Federation. This river, which is of great economic importance for Russia, arises at the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers in Altai. It mainly passes through the country, although many of its tributaries originate in China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. The Ob is connected to its largest tributary by the Irtysh River, at about 69° east longitude. It flows into the Kara Sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean, forming the Gulf of Ob. The river has a huge drainage area, which is about 2.99 million km².

The habitat surrounding the Ob consists of vast expanses of steppe and taiga flora in the upper and middle reaches of the river. Birches, pines, firs and cedars are some of the famous trees growing in these areas. Thickets of willow, wild rose and bird cherry also grow along the watercourse. The river basin abounds in aquatic flora and fauna, including more than 50 species of fish (sturgeon, carp, perch, nelma and peled, etc.) and about 150 species of birds. Minks, wolves, Siberian moles, otters, beavers, stoats and other native mammal species. In the lower reaches of the Ob, the arctic tundra is characterized by snow-covered landscapes for most of the year. Polar bears, arctic foxes, polar owls and arctic hares represent this region.

Volga

The longest river in Europe, the Volga, often considered the national river of Russia, has a large basin covering almost two-thirds of European Russia. The Volga originates in the north-west of the Valdai Upland, and flows south overcoming 3530 km, where it flows into the Caspian Sea. About 200 tributaries join the river along the entire route. Eleven major cities of the country, including Moscow, are based along the Volga basin, whose area is 1.36 million km².

The climate in the river basin varies along its course from north to south. The northern regions are dominated by a temperate climate with cold, snowy winters and warm, humid summers. The southern regions are characterized by cool winters and hot dry summers. The Volga Delta is one of the richest habitats, home to 430 plant species, 127 fish species, 260 bird species and 850 aquatic species.

Yenisei

The mouth of the Yenisei River is located near the city of Kazyl, where it merges with the Small Yenisei River, which originates in Mongolia and flows north, where it drains a vast area of ​​Siberia before emptying into the Kara Sea (Arctic Ocean), having traveled 3,487 km. The Angara River, which flows out of Lake Baikal, is one of the main tributaries of the upper reaches of the Yenisei.

About 55 species of local fish live in the waters of the Yenisei, including Siberian sturgeon, flounder, roach, northern pike, Siberian minnow, tench and sterlet. Most of the river basin is surrounded by, mainly consisting of the following species of coniferous trees: fir, cedar, pine and larch. In some areas of the upper reaches of the Yenisei, there are also steppe pastures. In the north, boreal forests give way to arctic forests. Musk deer, elk, roe deer and Japanese mouse are some of the mammals living in the taiga forests along the river. Also, there are such birds as the Siberian blue robin, Siberian lentil, stone capercaillie and forest snipe. Ducks, geese and swans are found in the lower reaches during the summer.

Lower Tunguska

The Lower Tunguska is a right tributary of the Yenisei, flowing through the Irkutsk region and the Krasnoyarsk region of Russia. Its length is 2989 km, and the basin area is 473 thousand km². The river extends near the watershed between the Yenisei and Lena river basins and flows north and then west across the Central Siberian Plateau.

In the upper reaches, the river forms a wide valley with numerous shallows, but after turning to the west, the valley narrows, and numerous gorges and rapids appear. The vast Tunguska coal basin lies in the river basin.

Amur

The Amur is the tenth longest river in the world, located in East Asia and forms the border between the Far Eastern District of the Russian Federation and Northeast China. The river originates at the confluence of the Shilka and Argun rivers. The Amur flows for 2825 km to the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean and empties into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

The river has many vegetation zones in various parts of its basin, including taiga forests and swamps, Manchurian mixed forests, Amur meadow steppes, forest-steppes, steppes and tundra. Wetlands along the Amur Basin are among the most valuable ecosystems that are home to a huge variety of flora and fauna. These are important haunts for millions of migratory birds, including white storks and Japanese cranes. The river basin is home to over 5,000 species of vascular plants, 70 species of mammals, and 400 species of birds. It is home to rare and endangered species such as the Amur tiger and the Amur leopard, the region's most iconic mammal species. A wide variety of fish species inhabit the waters of the Amur: about 100 species in the lower reaches and 60 in the upper. Chum salmon, burbot and whitefish are among the most commercially important northern fish species.

Vilyuy

Vilyuy is a river in Central and Eastern Siberia, flowing mainly through the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in eastern Russia. This is the largest tributary of the Lena, 2650 km long and with a basin area of ​​​​about 454 thousand km².

Vilyui originates on the Central Siberian Plateau and first flows east, then south and southeast, and again east to the place where it flows into the Lena (about 300 km northwest of the city of Yakutsk). The river and adjacent reservoirs are rich in commercial fish species.

Kolyma

With a length of more than 2,100 kilometers and a basin area of ​​643,000 km², the Kolyma is the largest river in Eastern Siberia that flows into the Arctic Ocean. The upper reaches of this river system began to develop as early as the Cretaceous, when the main watershed between the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Arctic Ocean was formed.

At the beginning of its journey, Kolyma makes its way through narrow gorges with numerous rapids. Gradually, its valley expands, and below the confluence with the Zyryanka River, it flows through the wide marshy Kolyma lowland, and then flows into the East Siberian Sea.

Ural

The Ural is a large river flowing in Russia and Kazakhstan, 2428 km long (1550 km on the territory of the Russian Federation), and with a basin area of ​​​​about 231 thousand km². The river originates in the Ural Mountains on the slopes of the Round Sopka and flows in a southerly direction. In the city of Orsk, it turns sharply to the west through the southern outskirts of the Urals, past Orenburg, and again turns south, heading towards the Caspian Sea. Its flow has a large spring maximum, and freeze-up lasts from late November to April. Navigation on the river is carried out to the city of Oral in Kazakhstan. The dam and hydroelectric power station were built on the Iriklinskoye reservoir, south of the city of Magnitogorsk.

Wetlands in the Ural Delta are especially important for migratory birds as a major haunt along the Asian Flyway. The river is also important for many Caspian Sea fish species that visit its deltas and migrate upstream to spawn. In the lower reaches of the river, there are 47 species from 13 families. The cyprinid family accounts for 40% of the species diversity of fish, sturgeon and herring - 11%, perch - 9% and salmon - 4.4%. The main commercial species are sturgeon, roach, bream, pike perch, carp, asp and catfish. Rare species include Caspian salmon, sterlet, nelma and kutum. About 48 species of animals live in the Ural delta and nearby areas, of which 21 species belong to the order of rodents.

Don

The Don is one of the largest rivers in the Russian Federation and the 5th longest river in Europe. Its basin is located between the Dnieper-Donets depression in the west, the Volga basin in the east, and the basin of the Oka River (a tributary of the Volga) in the north.

The Don originates in the city of Novomoskovsk 60 km southeast of Tula (120 km south of Moscow), and flows for a distance of about 1870 km to the Sea of ​​Azov. From its source, the river heads southeast to Voronezh and then southwest to its mouth. The main tributary of the Don is the Seversky Donets.

Table of the largest rivers of the Russian Federation

The largest river in Europe located in Russia - this is a river Volga(3531 km) and this is not surprising, because the territory of the European part of Russia is 40% of the territory of all of Europe.

Many sources claim that the longest river in Western Europe is Danube(2860 km), however, it is worth noting that the Danube flows through the territories of such Eastern European countries as Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.

The Danube is divided into 3 parts:

• Upper (992 km) - from the source to the village of Gönyü;
• Medium (860 km) - from Gonyu to the city of Drobeta-Turnu Severin;
• Nizhny (931 km) - from the city of Drobeta-Turnu Severin to the confluence with the Black Sea.

At the same time, even part of the upper Danube already flows through the territory of Slovakia, which means that in Western Europe the length of the Danube is less than 992 km.

Therefore, if we consider the west and east of the continent separately, then the largest river in Western Europe- This Rhine 1233 km long, which flows through the territories of such Western European countries as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands and Liechtenstein.

Well, the Danube can be considered as the longest river in the European Union.

List of the 20 longest rivers in Europe:

• Volga - 3531 km;
• Danube - 2860 km;
• Ural - 2428 km;
• Dnieper - 2201 km;
• Don - 1870 km;
• Pechora - 1809 km;
• Kama - 1805 km;
• Oka - 1498 km;
• Belaya - 1430 km;
• Dniester - 1352 km;
• Vyatka - 1314 km;
• Rhine - 1233 km;
• Elba - 1165 km;
• Desna - 1153 km;
• Seversky Donets - 1053 km;
• Vistula - 1047 km;
• Western Dvina - 1020 km;
• Loire - 1012 km - is the longest river in France;
• Tagus (Tejo) - 1038 km - the longest river of the Iberian Peninsula;
• Mezen - 966 km.

16 longest European rivers flowing through Russia

• Volga - 3531 km;
• Ural - 2428 km;
• Dnieper - 2201 km;
• Don - 1870 km;
• Pechora - 1809 km;
• Kama - 1805 km;
• Oka - 1498 km;
• Belaya - 1430 km;
• Vyatka - 1314 km;
• Desna - 1153 km;
• Seversky Donets - 1053 km;
• Western Dvina - 1020 km;
• Mezen - 966 km;
• Neman - 937 km;
• Kuban - 870 km.
• Northern Dvina - 744 km.

Rhone - the longest (812 km) river in Europe, flowing into the Mediterranean Sea

Volga

The Volga is a river in the European part of Russia that flows into the Caspian Sea. The part of the territory of Russia adjacent to the Volga is called the Volga region. The length of the river is 3530 km, before the construction of reservoirs - 3690 km, the catchment area - 1360 thousand km².

Danube

The Danube is the second longest (2860 km) river in Europe, the longest river in the European Union. The source is located in the mountains of Germany. It flows through the territory or border of ten states: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Moldova; passes through such capitals of Central and South-Eastern Europe as Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade. It flows into the Black Sea, forming a delta on the border of Romania and Ukraine.

Ural

Ural - a river in Eastern Europe, flows through the territory of Russia and Kazakhstan, flows into the Caspian Sea. It is the third longest river in Europe, length - 2428 km, basin area - 231,000 km².

Dnieper

The Dnieper is a typical flat river with a slow and calm course, the fourth longest river after the Volga, Danube, Ural and the third river in Europe in terms of basin area, has the longest channel within the borders of Ukraine. The length of the Dnieper in its natural state was 2285 km, after the construction of a cascade of reservoirs, when the fairway was straightened in many places - 2201 km; within Ukraine - 1121 km, within Belarus - 595 km (115 km are located on the border territory of Belarus and Ukraine), within Russia - 485 km. The basin area is 504,000 km², of which within Ukraine - 291,400 km².

Don

Don is a river in the European part of Russia, 1870 km long and with a catchment area of ​​422 thousand km². The source of the Don is located in the northern part of the Central Russian Upland, the mouth is the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of ​​Azov.

Half of European cities were built on rivers, which is not surprising, because rivers have always been of great transport and economic importance for the development of cities. In the end, people just love to relax on the banks of the rivers, enjoying the scenery and clear water, and many people also fish in it. The size of the rivers on which cities stand can vary greatly, and this does not mean that the largest cities should stand on the largest rivers. About what is the longest river in Europe, and will be discussed below.

1. Volga (3531 km)

It is the great Russian river that is the longest waterway in Europe. It must be admitted that in terms of length, the European record holder is far behind the longest rivers in the world, such as the Amazon, the Nile, the Yangtze, but in a fairly compact Europe, this is already a good result. The Volga begins, like many other Eastern European rivers (Dnepr, Western Dvina, etc.) on the Valdai Upland, then flows along the Central Russian Upland to the southeast, at the foothills of the Urals it turns south and flows into the inner Caspian Sea. The source of the Volga is located at an altitude of 228 meters above sea level, but its delta goes 28 meters below this level. Usually the course of the Volga is divided into three sections: the upper, middle and lower Volga. In its basin, which occupies 8% of the territory of Russia, there are over 150 thousand large and small rivers.

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2. Danube (2860 km)

It is the longest river in Western Europe. It begins in Germany, and then flows through the territories of 10 countries until it flows into the Black Sea. During such a long journey, the landscapes of the banks of the Danube change very much: high mountains, glaciers, mountain plateaus, karst plateaus, plains and fields overgrown with forests. The Danube water has a yellowish-brown tint due to the abundance of suspended particles of silt carried away from the banks, therefore the “blue” Danube, sung by Johann Strauss, is also considered the most muddy European river. For Western Europe, the Danube is not only the longest, but also the most full-flowing river.

3. Ural (2428 km)

The origins of the Ural River are located in Bashkiria, on the top of Mount Kruglyaya Sopka. Almost all its way, the Urals flow through the territory of Russia, capturing a small piece of Kazakhstan, after which, like the Volga, it flows into the Caspian. The upper part of the Ural channel is the conditional border of the division of the Eurasian continent into 2 continents - Europe and Asia. The cities of Orenburg and Magnitogorsk were built on the Ural River. From the point of view of shipping, the Urals are not of great importance - there are few river boats here. But on the other hand, fish are actively caught here, since there are a lot of them in the Urals - catfish, stellate sturgeon, pike perch, sturgeon. The Ural basin covers an area of ​​231,000 sq. km.

4. Dnieper (2201 km)

The Dnieper River, flowing through the territories of Russia, Belarus and then Ukraine, and for the latter it is the longest river. The Dnieper begins not far from the Volga - on the Valdai Hills, but at the end of the path it flows into the Black Sea. On the banks of the Dnieper there are such large cities as Kyiv and Dnepropetrovsk. The Dnieper, like a typical flat river, has a calm, slow flow, and everyone has long forgotten about the Dnieper rapids, which have become the bottom of the reservoirs. More than 70 species of fish live in the Dnieper, including sturgeon, carp, ram and herring. Also, many types of algae grow in the Dnieper water: green ones are the most common, but there are also golden, diatoms, and cryptophytes.

5. Don (1870 km)

The sources of the Don are on the Central Russian Upland, and it flows into the Sea of ​​Azov. There is an erroneous opinion that the source of the Don is in the Shatsky reservoir, but in fact its beginning is the Urvanka stream, which flows in Novomoskovsk, Tula region (tap water flows in the place of the formal source). The Don is a navigable river, and its basin covers 422,000 sq. km. River ships rise from the mouth of the Don to the city of Liski. Many cities were built on this ancient Russian river, including such large ones as Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Azov. Unfortunately, the Don was heavily polluted, which led to a reduction in its fish stocks. But even now, almost 70 species of fish live in it. Most often, roach, bream, rudd, pike and perch are caught here.

6. Pechora (1809 km)

This northern river flows through the territory of the Komi and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and then flows into the Barents Sea. The sources of the Pechora are in the Northern Urals. Naryan-Mar stands on its banks. Pechora is navigable, but only as far as Troitsko-Pechorsk. Whitefish, salmon and vendace are actively caught here. The Pechora basin, which occupies 322,000 sq. km, rich in mineral deposits: coal, gas and oil.

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7. Kama (1805 km)

This is the longest of the rivers in Europe, which is a tributary and the largest river in the Western Urals. The sources of the Kama are located on the Upper Kama Upland, near the village of Karpushata. In the area of ​​the Kuibyshev reservoir, the Kama flows into the Volga, the longest European river. The area of ​​the Kama basin is 507,000 sq. km, where there are almost 75 thousand rivers and streams. True, the vast majority of them are only about a dozen kilometers long. Interestingly, the Kama is much older than the Volga; before the last glaciation, it itself flowed into the Caspian Sea, while the Volga merged with the Don. After the passage of the glacier, which greatly changed the terrain, much has changed - the Kama has become the largest tributary of the Volga.

8. Oka (1498 km)

The largest right tributary of the Volga is the Oka River, which has a basin of 245,000 sq. km. It begins as an ordinary spring near the village of Alexandrovka in the Oryol region. Many ancient Russian cities were built on the Oka: Ryazan, Kaluga, Murom, Nizhny Novgorod, so it, like the Volga, is closely connected with the history of Russia. Divyagorsk was also built there - one of the oldest cities in Russia, which is now almost completely washed away by the fast waters of the river. Due to the gradual shallowing of the Oka, navigation on it is unstable, which has been suspended more than once (2007, 2014, 2015). For the same reason, the number of fish in the Oka is gradually decreasing.

9. Dniester (1352 km)

The Dniester River begins in the Lviv region, in the village of Volchie, and at the end of the way to the south it flows into the Black Sea, crossing the territories of Ukraine and Moldova during this time. In many places, the border between these countries runs along the Dniester. Tiraspol, Rybnitsa, Bendery were built on the Dniester. The area of ​​the Dniester basin is approximately 72,100 sq. km. With the collapse of the USSR, shipping on this river also decreased, and recently it has almost completely disappeared, so at present only sightseeing ships and small boats can occasionally be found there.

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10. Vyatka (1314 km)

The Vyatka River begins, like the Kama, on the Verkhnekamsk Upland, in Udmurtia. But at the end of its journey, it nevertheless flows into this largest tributary of the Volga. The area of ​​the Vyatka basin is 129,000 sq. km. This meandering river has a typically flat character. Man uses it not only for navigation, but also for timber rafting. River routes end in Kirov, having a length of about 700 kilometers from the mouth. There is a lot of fish in Vyatka, local residents catch perch, pike, pike perch, roach and other species in it. On its banks such cities as Kirov, Orlov, Sosnovka were built.

RIVER REST

Volga - the largest river in Europe, 3888 km long with a basin area of ​​\u200b\u200b1360 thousand km 2. It originates in the Valdai Upland, flows into the Caspian Sea, forming a delta with an area of ​​19 thousand km 2. It has about 200 tributaries, the largest being Kama and Oka. The flow is strongly regulated by a cascade of hydroelectric power stations with reservoirs. The largest hydroelectric power stations are Volzhskaya (Kuibyshevskaya), Volzhskaya (Volgogradskaya), Cheboksarskaya. The Volga is connected to the Baltic Sea by the Volga-Baltic Waterway, to the White Sea by the North Dvina Water System and the White Sea-Baltic Canal, to the Azov and Black Seas by the Volga-Don Shipping Canal, and to the Moscow River by the Moscow Canal. The Volga-Kama, Zhigulevsky and Astrakhan nature reserves, the natural national park Samarskaya Luka are located in the Volga basin.

Kama - the fifth longest river in Europe (2030 km): only the Volga, Danube, Ural and Dnieper are longer than it, Kama is one of the most important river routes, it has more than 200 large tributaries, such as Vishera, Chusovaya, Belaya, Vyatka, etc. The Kama River is regulated for a considerable length by the dams of the Kamskaya, Botkinskaya and Nizhnekamskaya hydroelectric power stations, above which reservoirs have been created. At the confluence of the Kama and the Volga, there is the Volzh-1-sko-Kama Reserve.

The nature of the Kama basin It is diverse and includes the slopes of the Ural Range, ancient plateaus, and low-lying plains. In the upper reaches there are coniferous forests, in the lower reaches there are oak groves and lindens.

Oka - the second largest tributary of the Volga, has a length of 1478 km. It originates on the Central Russian Upland, 4 km from the village. Maloarkhangelsk. It flows into the Volga near Nizhny Novgorod. According to hydrological data and the nature of the route, it is divided into upper, middle and lower sections. Upper Oka - from the city of Aleksin to the village. Shchurovo. Average - from s. Shchurovo (the mouth of the Moscow River) to the mouth of the river. Moksha. Here it differs sharply from the upper section - the slopes decrease, the river becomes more abundant. For 100 km (R. Shchurovo - Kuzminsk) there is a sluice section. The Lower Oka (from the mouth of the Moksha River to Nizhny Novgorod) is characterized by frequent narrowing and widening of the channel from 1 to 2 km. The right bank (from Pavlov to Gorky) is high, the left bank (from Murom to Nizhny Novgorod) is low. On the banks of the Oka, on the one hand, there are cliffs, on the other, flood meadows. Closer to the confluence of the Volga, the Oka becomes full of water, coniferous forests and copses appear on the banks.

The main tributaries of the Oka: Ugra, Moscow River, Klyazma, Moksha. On the left bank in the middle reaches is the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve. The Oka is navigable from the city of Chekalin, regular shipping is from Serpukhov.

Don begins on the Central Russian Upland. The length of the Don is about 1970 km, the area of ​​the basin exceeds 440 thousand km2. It flows into the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of ​​Azov, forming a delta with an area of ​​340 km2. Small slopes in the lower reaches provide a very slow current. Main tributaries: Khoper, Medveditsa, Sal, Seversky Donets. On the Don are the Tsimlyanskaya hydroelectric power station and a reservoir, the Nikolaevsky, Konstantinovsky and Kochetkovsky hydroelectric facilities. Navigation from the mouth of the river. Sosny (1604 km), regular navigation - from the city of Liski. In the Don basin - Galichya Gora nature reserve. The largest cities: Liski, Kalach-on-Don, Rostov-on-Don, Azov, Volgodonsk.