Drin (river)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Drin
Peja District
2nd sourceBlack Drin at Lake Ohrid near Struga
 • locationNorth Macedonia, Struga Municipality
Source confluenceNear Kukës
 • locationKukës County, Albania
Bojana River
Small Drin: Gulf of Drin
 • location
Large Drin: Shkodër County
Small Drin: Lezhë County, Albania
 • elevation
5 m (16 ft)
Length285 km (177 mi)[1][A]
Basin size19,686[2] km2 (7,601 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • locationthe river mouth
 • average352 m3/s (12,400 cu ft/s)[3]
 • maximum1,800[4] m3/s (64,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftBlack Drin, Mirusha, Prizren, Toplluha
 • rightWhite Drin, Sateska, Radika, Perro, Bushtrica, White Drin: Peja, Deçan, Erenik, Black Drin: Valbona, Shala, Kir, Mertur
ProgressionAdriatic Sea

The Drin (

ocean basin that encompasses the northern Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast
.

At 285 kilometres (177 miles) long,

Dukagjin Highlands, where three successive dams were erected between 1960s and late 1980s, forming 3 large artificial lakes. The Drin then passes Vau i Dejës and drains into the Adriatic Sea through its two distributaries in Buna river and west of Lezhë
.

Located in the

Balkan Peninsula at the crossroad of Europe and Asia, the river basin's varied climate and topography have shaped a vast array of flora and fauna. In addition, it has been recognized as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in Europe.[11][12] The Drin Delta is classified as an Important Bird Area of international importance by designation under the BirdLife International Convention.[13]

Etymology

The name of the river is recorded in Ancient Greek as Drilon (Δρίλων) and in Latin as Drinus. The name is considered to be of Illyrian origin.[14] The form Drin- has been evidenced by Pliny the Elder (fl. 1st century AD) and is most likely primary. The ancient name Drinus has undergone sound changes reaching the current Albanian form Drin through the evolution of Albanian sound changes.[15][14] The Macedonian name of the river is Дрим, Drim. Homonym rivers are Drino between southern Albania and northwestern Greece, and Drina between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

Geography

Mouth of Drin and Gulf of Drin on the Adriatic coast in northern Albania.

After the confluence of its two tributaries, near the town of

Bojana River near the Rozafa Castle
.

The Black Drin flows out from the Lake Ohrid near Struga through western North Macedonia and then eastern Albania. The White Drin originates from the Žljeb mountain, north of the town of Peja in the Metohija region of Kosovo, and flows from there through to Albania.[16]

The basin encompasses the transboundary subbasins of

Lake Shkodër (largest lake in Southern Europe),[17] Lake Ohrid (one of the most ancient lakes in the World),[18] Lake Prespa and Small Prespa Lake and also the tributaries, namely Black Drin, White Drin and Bojana River. All these subbasins and tributaries are home to numerous species of mammals, vascular plants, insects, amphibians, fish and birds
.

Economy

Drin river contains the largest hydroelectric power station group in the

Spilje Hydro Power Plant (84 MW) on the Black Drin. [20]

The artificial

Lake Fierza created by the dam at Fierzë is the largest artificial lake in Albania with its surface of 73 km². The second largest artificial lake is also built on this river. Vau i Dejës lake has an area of 25 km². Construction of the Fierza power station caused some controversy in the 1980s. Without reaching any agreement, the Albanian government ordered the reservoir to be filled with water, which flooded some border areas of Kosovo, then part of Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav government protested, but no solution was agreed on. Thus, today, Lake Fierza is shared by Albania and Kosovo.[citation needed
]

Watershed basin

  • Drin
      • Black Drin
        • (L): Balicikë and Jabllanicë streams
        • (R): Dallgash stream
        • Radikë river, Mavrovë and Carakë streams, Zalli i Bulqizës river
          • (L): Banjë, Deshat, Gramë, Tepuz, Veleshicë, Prillushë and Tershan streams
          • (R): Mur, Setë, Mollë and Lurë streams
      • White Drin
        • Lumë river
          • Orgjost and Topojan streams
        • (R): Bistrica e Pejës
        • (R): Bistrica e Deçanit
        • (R): Erenik
        • (L): Bistrica e Prizrenit
        • (L): Mirusha
        • (L): Toplluha, Klinë
        • (L): Istok
    • Valbonë
      • Pecmarë, Vrulla e Shoshanit, Gashi and Tropojë streams
    • Shalë
      • Okol and Shtrazë streams
      • Theth river
        • Kaprej and Maja e Zezë streams
      • Bigë, Gura e Lekajt, Kosan and Shehu i Abatit streams
      • Stupje stream
        • Lesniqe river
    • Nikaj
      • (L): Curraj stream
        • Kuç stream
      • (R): Nikaj stream
    • Gjadër and Kir rivers

History

The ancient name of the river was Drilon. The valley of the river was inhabited by several

peoples. It was probably dominated at some point and to some extent by the Enchele.[21] The tribal territory of the Taulantii and of the Labeatae was most likely located near the river.[22]

Annotations

  1. ^
    Author Tom Streissguth, gives a length of 335 km (208 mi) for Drin, as measured from the source of its tributary White Drin.[7] This figure doesn't appear in other reliable sources or textbooks, where Drin's length shows 285 km.

See also

Bibliography

  • ISBN 9789994381715. Archived from the original
    on 20 November 2020.
  • .
  • Shpuza, Saimir (2017). Dyczek, Piotr (ed.). "Scodra and the Labeates. Cities, rural fortifications and territorial defense in the Hellenistic period". Novensia. 28. Warszawa: Ośrodek Badań nad Antykiem Europy Południowo-Wschodniej: 41–64. .

Further reading

References

  1. ^ . It is simultaneously the longest river in the country, with a length of 285 km.
  2. ^ Elisabeta Poci. "HYDROLOGY OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY DRIN RIVER BASIN" (PDF). ce.utexas.edu. University of Texas at Austin.
  3. ^ Kabo, Mevlan (1990). Gjeografia Fizike e Shqipërisë 1 (in Albanian). Tirana, Albania: Akademia e Shkencave e RPS të Shqipërisë. p. 232. Prurja mesatare shumëvjeçare e Drinit të Zi është 118 m3/sek, e Drinit të Bardhë 68.8 m3/sek, e Drinit (në derdhje në Bunë) 352 m3/sek që i përgjigjet një vëllimi vjetor prej 11.1 miliardë m3 ujë.
  4. ^ Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. "ALBANIA". fao.org.
  5. ^ "Drin". dictionary.com.
  6. ^ "Internationally Shared Surface Water Bodies in the Balkan Region". inweb.gr.
  7. ^ . Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  8. ^ "Drin Basin". Drin Corda.
  9. .
  10. ^ Kabo, Mevlan (1990). Gjeografia Fizike e Shqipërisë 1 (in Albanian). Tirana, Albania: Akademia e Shkencave e RPS të Shqipërisë. pp. 231–232.
  11. ^ "The natural wealth and legacy of the Drin River Basin: inspiring our collective actions" (PDF). act4drin.net. p. 7.
  12. ^ "Drin River Basin The blue heart of the Balkans" (PDF). mio-ecsde.org. p. 4.
  13. ^ BirdLife International. "Drini Delta". datazone.birdlife.org.
  14. ^ a b Demiraj 2006, pp. 146, 148−149.
  15. ^ Katičić 1976, p. 186.
  16. . Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  17. . Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  18. ^ "Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region". whc.unesco.org. pp. UNESCO. Situated on the shores of Lake Ohrid, the town of Ohrid is one of the oldest human settlements in Europe; Lake Ohrid is a superlative natural phenomenon, providing refuge for numerous endemic and relict freshwater species of flora and fauna dating from the tertiary period. As a deep and ancient lake of tectonic origin, Lake Ohrid has existed continuously for approximately two to three million years.
  19. ^ "Albania Upgrades Electrical Grid in the Balkans". e.huawei.com/gr.
  20. ^ "Sustainable Nexus solutions for Drin river basin". Balkan Green Energy News. October 5, 2022.
  21. ^ Shpuza 2017, p. 43.