The data provided by the European Environmental Agency is that 80% of the fresh water we consume comes from rivers and underground waterways. A fact that opens our eyes before the importance of the care and quality of our rivers and other water sources. Today, we are going to focus and talk about some of the most important rivers in Europe. We will know their names, their main characteristics and how we will not try to inform you which are the most important steps to keep our waters clean.
The hydrographic network of the European continent is very extensive, since there are rivers that are very important. It can be thought that the most important rivers are the ones with the greatest flow, but it does not have to be that way. These bodies of water have a history behind them and can become an economic means for many families, since life has often formed around these bodies of water.
What is a river and what types exist?
A river is understood as a mass of water that flows from its point of birth to the place of its mouth, and may be another river, a sea or a lake.. The various rivers can be differentiated, due to their flow. This can be more or less depending on the parts that make up the river. They can increase their flow thanks to rainfall, springs or seepage, meltwater or land runoff.
There are three main parts that can be differentiated in a river. The first of these is the upper course, is the part where the river is born. It is an area where the force of erosion is high, as well as that of transport. The second part is the middle course, we are talking about the area where the slope is widening and decreasing. In this case there is also erosive activity as well as transport and sedimentation. Finally we talk about lower course, is the area of the river where you can see less slope and less speed of its waters. In this area, the sediments that it was transporting are deposited and when it reaches the point of mouth it can form a delta or estuary.
How is a river formed?
Precipitation is the main responsible for the entry of water into the hydrographic basins.. The moisture that accumulates in the clouds will reach the earth's surface in the form of dew, rain, fog, snow or hail. This falling water becomes food for our rivers.
This rainwater is also filtered into the ground, forming groundwater.. This type of water masses are located in areas known as saturation, being stored and exiting through the pores or fissures that the soil itself has. If the water flow crosses these saturated zones, the water stored inside comes to the surface and begins to form part of the river flow.
Most important rivers in Europe
As we mentioned at the beginning of this publication, the Europe's natural hydrographic network is very extensive, there are rivers in it that are really worth visiting, not only for their grandeur but also for their great beauty. Traveling discovering new corners of the world and also getting to know the most important rivers in Europe, the truth is that it is priceless.
What mother nature offers us is something that cannot be explained in words. Places, landscapes, and wonderful views that we must take care of and enjoy. Take note of the following names that we are going to point out to you, since you will not only be able to admire the beauty of the rivers but also of the cities that they cross, a new way of traveling that we bring you.
Volga River
en.wikipedia.org
In this first point we bring you the The Volga River is the longest on the European continent with a total length of 3700 km. The river, on the map we can see that its water runs through the European zone of Russia. Its birth point is located in the Valdai Hills, a place between Moscow and St. Petersburg, and it has its mouth in the Caspian Sea. It is a river that can be navigated without any problem for almost its entire length.
Danube river
It occupies the second longest river position in Europe with a length of 2860 km. Between his long journey he crosses 10 different countries and 4 capitals such as; Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade. It has its source in Germany, more specifically in the Black Forest and ends up flowing into the Black Sea, where upon reaching this point it forms a river delta full of different plants and animals, being considered a biosphere reserve, for which it is protected. .
Rin River
With a length of 1233 km, we are facing the longest European river that flows into the North Sea areas. Of those almost 1300 km in length, a total of 833 are fully navigable, from the city of Basel in Switzerland to where its delta forms in the North Sea. The source of this river, we can locate it in the Swiss Alps and runs through different points such as Liechtenstein, Austria and forms the border between France and Germany, and when it reaches the Netherlands, its flow is divided into two branches, until reaching the point where it ends
Seine river
It is the most famous French river and one of the most important in Europe. It is 776 km long and is among the three longest in the country. The Seine River is born in the Cote d'Or and runs hundreds of kilometers until it reaches its mouth, the English Channel. The world famous city of Paris, was developed on the banks of rivers and is one of the main tourist attractions besides the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre.
Tagus River
This river is the longest in Spain and runs through our territory with its more than 1000 kilometers in length. The Tagus, has its source in the Sierra de Albarracín in the province of Teruel and after its 1008 km it ends up flowing in Lisbon, in the Mar de la Paja estuary. It crosses different autonomous communities of Spain such as Aragón, Castilla La Mancha, Madrid and Extremadura. And a total of six Spanish provinces; Teruel, Guadalajara, Cuenca, Madrid, Toledo and Cáceres.
Thames River
It is not one of the longest that we will name in this list, since it “only” has 346 km, but we can point out that it belongs to the most important rivers in Europe. The River Thames is located in the south of England and is one of the most important in the country as it crosses both Oxford and London. It is born in the Cotswold Mountains and ends up flowing into the North Sea, where an estuary is formed and whose name is the same.
Ebro river
Second longest river in our country, since it has the Tagus ahead. It is the most important river in Spain if we take into consideration those that are born, flow and end in Spanish territory. After passing through seven autonomous communities; Cantabria, Castilla y León, Basque Country, Navarra, Aragón and Catalonia. The source of this river is in Pico Tres Mares in Cantabria and flows into the Mediterranean forming the well-known Ebro delta.
river elbe
Second longest river that ends up flowing into the North Sea. This river rises in the north of the Czech Republic at an altitude of almost 1400 meters. It has a total of 1165 kilometers in length from its source in the Giant Mountains, until it reaches its mouth in the North Sea. During its journey it crosses the Czech Republic and Germany.
river loire
We located this river in France, being the longest in the country with 1020 kilometers in length. It is born on Mount Gerbier de Jonc in the Massif Central area and ends up flowing into the Atlantic. The valley of this river is popular due to the banks where you can see various ancient castles and palaces dating from between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries.
River Po
riosdelplaneta.com
Within Italian territory, this is the longest river that can be found with a total of 652 kilometers. It starts in the Cottian Alps, on Mount Monviso, and runs for hundreds of kilometers until it reaches its mouth in the Adriatic Sea. After passing through such important cities as Turin, Piacenza, Cremona and Ferrera.
There are many more, the rivers of Europe that we could continue naming and classifying them as important for different reasons. But in this small list, we wanted to discover which are the main ones.
Our environmental footprint can be very detrimental to these large bodies of water. The different actions that we carry out both in our homes and outside of them can cause water contamination. We must prevent the contamination of rivers, lakes and reservoirs since they are the source of different activities that we carry out for both domestic and industrial use.
In short, we are responsible for ensuring that these wonderful places continue not only maintaining their beauty but also the quality of their waters. We end this post by telling you this because little by little, we are destroying the health of our planet, something that is essential both for us and for the survival of other species, both animal and plant.