Danube

The Danube (Latin name Hister) is the second-longest river in Europe (the Volga is the longest). It is the longest river of the European Union.

The river is 2,860 km (1,777 mi) long. Brigach and Breg join in Donaueschingen (near the Black Forest) to “make” the Danube. The Danube flows through or makes part of the border of 10 countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine. The river ends in the Black Sea through the Danube Delta.

Bigger cities include Ulm, Regensburg in Germany; Linz, Vienna in Austria; Bratislava in Slovakia, Budapest in Hungary; Vukovar in Croatia; Novi Sad and Belgrade in Serbia.

The Danube is named in many other languages: , (Dunav), German and Plattdüütsch: Donau, , , , , , or Danubius, , , , .

The Danube is an important waterway. Ocean ships can go to Brăila in Romania. River boats can go to Kehlheim in Bavaria. Smaller ships can travel as far north as Ulm, Germany.

There are three artificial waterways built on the Danube:

• the Danube-Tisa-Danube Canal (DTD) in the Banat and Bačka regions (Vojvodina, in the northern province of Serbia)
• the 64 km Danube-Black Sea Canal, between Cernavodă and Constanţa (Romania) finished in 1984, shortens the distance to the Black Sea by 400 km
• the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal (about 171 km), finished in 1992, linking the North Sea to the Black Sea. There is much history and culture related to the Danube. As with many other rivers, its natural environment and plants and animals are affected by pollution.

Images

File:Donaueschingen Donauzusammenfluss 20080714.jpg|The place where two small rivers Breg and Brigach join to form the Danube in Donaueschingen, Germany File:DonauknieVisegrad.jpg|The Danube in Visegrád, Hungary File:Eisernes Tor Durchbruch.JPG|The Iron Gate, a deep valley made by the Danube between Serbia and Romania File:Canalul Dunare Marea Neagra.jpg|Danube - Black Sea coast channel