Daugava
Daugava Western Dvina | |
---|---|
Native name |
|
Location | |
Country | Belarus, Latvia, Russia |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Valdai Hills |
• location | Penovsky District, Tver Oblast, Russia |
• coordinates | 56°52′16″N 32°31′44″E / 56.871°N 32.529°E |
• elevation | 221 m (725 ft) |
Mouth | Gulf of Riga |
• location | Riga, Latvia |
• coordinates | 57°3′42″N 24°1′50″E / 57.06167°N 24.03056°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Length | 1,020 km (630 mi)[1] |
Basin size | 87,900 km2 (33,900 sq mi)[1] |
Discharge | |
• average | 678 m3/s (23,900 cu ft/s) |
The Daugava (Latgalian: Daugova; German: Düna) or Western Dvina (Russian: Западная Двина, romanized: Zapadnaya Dvina; Belarusian: Заходняя Дзвіна; Estonian: Väina; Finnish: Väinäjoki) is a large river rising in the Valdai Hills of Russia that flows through Belarus and Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. The Daugava rises close to the source of the Volga. It is 1,020 km (630 mi) in length,[1] of which 352 km (219 mi) are in Latvia[2] and 325 km (202 mi) in Russia. It is a westward-flowing river, tracing out a great south-bending curve as it passes through northern Belarus.
Latvia's capital, Riga, bridges the river's estuary four times. Built on both riverbanks, the city centre is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the river's mouth and is a significant port.
Etymology
According to
The Finno-Ugric names Vēna (Livonian), Väinajogi (Estonian), and Väinäjoki (Finnish) all stem from Proto-Finnic *väin, meaning "a large, peacefully rolling river".
Geography
The total
Tributaries
The following rivers are tributaries to the river Daugava (from source to mouth):
- Left: Mezha, Kasplya, Dysna, Laucesa, Berezauka, Eglona, Pikstere, Ņega
- Right: Usvyacha, Palata, Drysa, Dubna, Aiviekste, Pērse, Dīvaja, Ogre
History
Humans have settled at the mouth of the Daugava and along the shores of the Gulf of Riga for millennia, initially participating in a hunter-gatherer economy and utilizing the waters of the Daugava estuary for fishing and gathering. Beginning around the sixth century CE,
In medieval times, the Daugava was part of the
Settlements
The following are some of the cities and towns built along the Daugava:
Russia
Belarus
- Ruba
- Vitebsk
- Beshankovichy
- Polotsk (home to the Boris stones)
- Navapolatsk
- Dzisna
- Verkhnedvinsk
- Druya
Latvia
Environment
The river began experiencing environmental deterioration in the Soviet era due to collective agriculture (producing considerable adverse water pollution runoff) and hydroelectric power projects.[5] This is the river that the Vula river flows into.
Water quality
Upstream of the Latvian town of
In Belarus, water pollution of the Daugava is considered moderately severe, with the chief sources being treated wastewater, fish-farming, and agricultural chemical runoff (such as herbicides, pesticides, nitrates, and phosphates).[6][7]
References
- ^ a b c d "Main Geographic Characteristics of the Republic of Belarus. Main characteristics of the largest rivers of Belarus". Land of Ancestors. Data of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus. 2011. Archived from the original on Jan 15, 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ^ "Gruberts D. "Daugava". Nacionālā enciklopēdija". Nacionālā enciklopēdija. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Фасмер, Макс. Этимологический словарь Фасмера (in Russian). p. 161.
- ^
Compare:
Frucht, Richard C. (2005-01-01). Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781576078006. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
The Daugava was an important transit river (carrying everything from Vikings to floating lumber) for centuries [...].
- ^ C.Michael Hogan (2012). "Daugava River". Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment.
- )
- ^ "Water Report 15". fao.org. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
Further reading
- Richard C. Frucht; Aldis Purs (2005). Latvia. )
- Francis W. Carter and David Turnock. 2002. Environmental problems of East Central Europe. 442 pages Google eBook
- Kropotkin, Peter Alexeivitch; Bealby, John Thomas (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). p. 738.
External links