The name of the river in France. Rivers of France. Major tributaries of the Dordoni

Overall, France has sufficient hydrological resources. There are no drying up rivers and lakes here, and the temperate warm marine type of climate with the relative constancy of precipitation throughout the year allows the river system of France to be practically unchanged. Floods are rare here and only occur on rivers with melt feeding, which originate in the mountainous regions of France and neighboring countries (Rhone in Switzerland, Garonne in Spain).

River system of France includes several hundred large and small rivers. However, according to the terminology adopted in France, rivers ("fleuves") are called exclusively those rivers that directly flow into the world's oceans. There are 131 such rivers in France, of which only 10 (Rhine, Meuse, Garonne, Dordogne, Charente, Scheldt (Esco),) have a length of over 300 km. At the same time, the basins of these rivers account for more than 400 thousand square kilometers. French territory, i.e. more than 70% of the entire territory. These rivers are the main catchment areas in France, as evidenced by the volume of water discharge at the mouths of these rivers: Loire - 931 cubic meters / s, - 1,690 cubic meters / s, Seine - 563 cubic meters / s, Rhine - 2,300 cubic meters / s, Garonne - 650 cubic meters / s, Dordogne - 380 cubic meters / s, - 350 cubic meters / s, Charente - 49 cubic meters / s, Meuse - 400 cubic meters / s, Scheldt - 104 cubic meters / sec. In total, these rivers take on about 40-45% of the total annual catchment area of \u200b\u200bFrance, of which about 33-34% falls on the rivers that flow into the seas in France (Loire, Rhone, Seine, Garonne, Dordogne, Charente, Adur), and do not carry the waters beyond its boundaries (Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt).

Rivers of France have a different nature of their nutrition. Considering that most of the rivers of France originate in mountain ranges, one can assume their glacial feeding (Rhone, Garona). However, descending from the mountains, these rivers receive numerous tributaries (, Sona, Selyun, etc.), the basis of which is fed by underground water resources and precipitation, falling mainly in the form of rains. Thus, we can say that the river network of France has a mixed, thaw-rain type of feeding. This, in turn, is facilitated by the fact that France has its own hydrological resources, which are provided by precipitation (478 cubic km per year), as well as, to a lesser extent, underground hydrological resources (about 7 cubic km).

MAP OF MAJOR RIVERS OF FRANCE

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Among the rivers of France there are also navigable ... At the same time, only some of them carry out shipping on an industrial scale. First of all, this depends on the power of the river itself and its fullness, on the depth of its channel, on the convenience of navigation, on the constancy of the water level, the high height of the bridges, etc. Based on these factors, it can be assumed that navigable rivers in France will be fairly large waterways with a calm flow and a constant water level, sufficient channel depth, etc. In fact, it is: for industrial shipping in France, the resources of only a few rivers are used. This is the Rhine with an adjacent system of canals, with large tributaries, as well as the lower reaches of the Garonne and. The rest of the rivers are not used for industrial shipping, but even there local residents navigate in their shallow vessels. At the same time, in accordance with the legislation, navigation on the rivers of France is free, in accordance with the rules (speed limit, prohibition of certain types of activities, prohibition of certain routes of ships, etc.). At the same time, the priority of commercial navigation is established even at the legislative level.

Most the Rhine is a major navigable artery in France - the main industrial river in Europe. In addition to the Rhine, in northeastern France, industrial shipping uses its tributary - the Moselle River and the network of canals built here. The Rhine, as the most convenient water transport artery in Europe, has a fairly high capacity of transport vessels. On the section of the river that runs along the border between France and Germany, the Rhine belongs to the VIb class of waterways, according to which the use of vessels with a displacement of up to 12 thousand tons is allowed. Slightly upstream, where the Rhine goes to the territory of Germany, and then the Netherlands - its navigability class rises to VIc with a permit for navigation of ships with a displacement of up to 18 thousand tons. There are three ports on the Rhine in France, capable of serving both passenger and industrial ships. The largest port is in Strasbourg. There are also ports near Mulhouse and Colmar.

Moselle - left tributary of the Rhine somewhat inferior in class of navigation to its "older brother". On the territory of France, the Moselle, as a transport artery, is used for about 150 kilometers from the border with Belgium. Three industrial ports are located here - in Metz, Nancy and Thienville. The Moselle was assigned a Vb navigation class, according to which it is allowed to use passenger and commercial ships with a displacement of up to 6 thousand tons. This does not prevent the French from using the Moselle as an important transport artery. In the upper reaches, the Moselle is linked through a system of canals with the Rhone and Seine, which makes it possible to carry out commercial navigation from the North Sea to the Mediterranean without bending around the Iberian Peninsula.

The canals, as well as the associated tributaries of the main rivers, are not suitable for large industrial vessels. Most of them belong to the IV class of navigation and allow the use of vessels with a displacement of up to 1,500 tons. However, in France, the benefits from commercial river transport are highly appreciated, which have the highest profitability among all modes of transport, for which work is carried out to deepen the channel on the canal and in the smallest places of such rivers. In addition, one of the most developed systems for regulating the water level in the canals with sluices functions here, many of which were built in the 19th century, but are still functioning.

Through a system of such canals, the Rhone and Moselle are connected through their tributaries (Marne, Oise) and the most famous river in France - the Seine ... It is on it that most ports are located. The largest of them, serving both passenger and industrial ships, are the ports in Balois, Grand Parouis, Paris, Rouen, etc. On the section of the river between the port of Rouen and Balois, where the largest number of cargo and passenger traffic on the Seine is carried out, the river was assigned a VIb class of the waterway, according to which the use of vessels with a displacement of up to 12 thousand tons is allowed. But below Rouen, at the confluence of the Seine into the Atlantic Ocean, the river has a maximum navigability class - VII, according to which the use of vessels with a displacement of up to 27 thousand tons is allowed. By the way, tributary of the Seine - Oise River for about 120 km. before the confluence of the Seine is also navigable. It is assigned class VIb waterway class.

The Oise connects the Seine with the Scheldt via the Canal du Nord , and also allows through the canal system of the Nord-pas-de-Calais region to get to the northernmost city of France - Dunkirk. The navigability of the channels in this system is different. Most of them have I class of navigation (up to 400 tons), however, some of them, including the Nord Canal, are somewhat larger and have II class of navigation with the ability to pass vessels with a displacement of up to 650 tons.

Wide the river is also used in navigation , originating in the Alps and flowing in the southern part of France. At the same time, commercial navigation on the Rhone affects the section from Lyon, where the Saone adjoins the Rhone and up to the confluence of the Rhone with the Mediterranean Sea. On this section, the river was assigned a Vb class of navigation with a permissible maximum displacement of a vessel up to 6 thousand tons. It should be said that along with the Rona, it is navigable and its right tributary - the Sona River ... It is through the Sonu that this river system connects with the Rhine and Seine systems. But upstream, before the confluence of the Sona - Rhone, it is used very little in shipping. There is no commercial navigation here. The fact is that in this place the relief becomes more and more mountainous and the use of the river in such conditions, even as deep as the Rhone, becomes impossible.

Garonne is also navigable in France ... However, due to the nature of the structure of its channel, in which deeper stretches alternate with shoals, and also because of the low medieval bridges, it remains navigable only in the lower course in the section from the city of Nantes to its confluence with the Atlantic Ocean. Here, due to the greater depth of the channel, it is used in shipping, including commercial, quite regularly, and the river has been assigned a navigation class VIa, according to which the use of vessels with a displacement of up to 6 thousand tons is allowed. To Nantes, navigation on the Loire is carried out within a few tens of kilometers and only by ships, the displacement of which does not exceed 400 tons.

Garonne becomes navigable after leaving the mountainous area of \u200b\u200bthe Pyrenees. Already in Landy, the waters of this river are used, including in commercial navigation. Here, the movement of vessels with a displacement of up to 400 tons is allowed, because the river was assigned the 1st class of navigation. However, having received the waters of several large tributaries, the Garonne, closer to Bordeaux, takes on the features of a large river and the possibilities of commercial shipping are expanding. The river here and up to the confluence with the Atlantic Ocean has IV class of navigation, which allows navigation of ships with a displacement of up to 1,500 tons.

In southern France, in the regions of Aquitaine and the Mediterranean coast in France, another large system of canals has been built, connecting the waters of the Garonne River with the mouth of the Rhone, passing along the southern coast of France and consisting of three canals: Canal de Garonne, Canal du Midi, Canal du Rhone. The largest of these canals is the Canal du Rhône, on which navigation is open for vessels with a displacement of up to 1,000 tons. Canal du Midi and Canal de Garonne are smaller. Here navigation is allowed for vessels with a displacement of up to 400 tons. This canal system plays an important role in the economic life of the southern region of France.

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River Loire (Loire) - the longest river in France flowing and flowing into the ocean on its territory. Its length is 1,006 km., And the area of \u200b\u200bthe catchment area - 117 356 sq. Km., Which is more than 20% of continental France and, therefore, makes it the most significant river in the country .

originates near the village of Saint-Elalie (department of Ardèche) in the eastern part of the Massif Central at an altitude of 1,408 meters above sea level. On its way, the Loire crosses the eastern and northern slopes of the Massif Central, and then enters the territory of the Paris Basin (North French Lowland). Here the speed of its current drops sharply and the Loire turns into a calm flat river with numerous inflows and shoals. Initially, the Loire flows from south to north to the city of Orleans, and then smoothly turns in the direction from east to west towards the city of Nantes and carries its waters into the Atlantic Ocean without changing direction.

Has its own character. In the upper reaches of the river and in its middle course, deeper-water areas alternate with shoals. At the same time, numerous rapids are formed on the shoals, which makes navigation along the Loire in these places impossible. A characteristic feature of such places on the Loire is the presence of a narrow channel much deeper than the rest of the river bed. The rapids wander from year to year. In spring, when the Loire collects a large amount of melt water from the vast territory of its basin, its shallows under the influence of a large mass of water "wander" - are carried by water to other places, most often new shallows are formed at river bends, where the speed of its flow decreases. When the melt waters recede and the Loire returns to its banks, you can find shallows in completely different places than they were last year. Thus, the river changes its configuration a little at turns every year.

Due to the large catchment area, the lower reaches becomes unpredictable. Here, sudden floods often occur, the water level rises by several meters due to the fact that somewhere in the continental part of France it rained and the tributaries of the Loire brought a large volume of water into its channel. For example, despite the average statistical data on water discharge, it is not uncommon for the volume of water discharge at the mouth of the Loire to increase sharply to 7000 m3 / s during floods. At the same time, a sharp drop in the water level in the Loire channel is also not uncommon. For example, in 1976, Orleans recorded a record low flow rate in the Loire. It was only 22.4 m3, while the average water consumption in this place near the Loire is 400 m3.

On the way to the ocean, the Loire receives the waters of numerous tributaries ... The largest of them are: Allier (420.7 km), Cher (367.8 km), Loire (317.4 km), Sarthe (313.3 km). At Saint-Nazaire (Loire Atlantique department) it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The flow rate of the Loire at the point where it flows into the ocean is about 931 cubic meters per second, which is second only to two French rivers: the Rhine and the Rhone.

MAIN FLOWS OF THE LOIR

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- the fifth longest river in France ... It completely flows through the territory of France and is its symbolic river, due to the fact that many historical events are associated with it, especially from the life of the capital of France - the city of Paris, which is located on the banks of the Seine.

The total length is 776 km. , the area of \u200b\u200bthe river basin is 79 thousand sq. km. The Seine originates in the Langres plateau, not far from the sources of the Meuse and Marne rivers. Descending from the plateau, the Seine carries its waters along the territory of the Paris Basin, mainly from the south-east to the north-west. Here she takes such waters large tributaries like the Aisne (355.9 km), Marne (514 km), Oise (341.1 km), (292.3 km) , as well as several dozen smaller rivers and streams.

Taking into account the rather calm nature of the current (the average slope is only 0.58 m per 1 km), this is one of the most convenient rivers in Europe for navigation. The Seine has been navigated for the last more than 500 km. The Seine flows into the English Channel, through the Creek de Rouen, near Le Havre, where it has a channel width of about 800 meters, and the Seine's water discharge here is about 563 cubic meters / s. Despite the fact that there is a relatively stable level of precipitation in the Seine basin, floods also occur here. The period of floods in the Seine basin occurs mainly at the end of winter, when the fallen snow begins to melt at a rapid pace and heavy rains fall. In this case, the level of the Seine and its tributaries increases markedly, and the total volume of water in its channel increases several times. For example, the average water discharge in the Seine in the Paris region is 328 m3 / s, but during the period of high floods this figure rises several times - up to 1,600 m3 / s.

Taking into account the relatively small slope of the river, an increase in its level by several meters immediately affects the state of water levels in its tributaries. First of all, this is reflected in the large tributaries that flow into it in the lower and middle reaches: Oise, Er, Marne. This pattern does not occur in the upper tributaries of the Seine. An inverse relationship is observed here, when a sharp increase in water in the tributaries (, About, etc.) leads to an increase in the water level in the Seine.

For regulating the water level in the Seine basin , as well as to minimize possible adverse effects from floods, during the period from 1960 to 1990, four large reservoirs were built on the Seine and its tributaries on the Seine (East Lake), on the Marne (Lake Der-Chantecock), on Oba (Lake Amance and Reservoir du Temple), on (Panasière Lake). These lakes, which together have more than 800 million cubic meters of water reserves, not only prevent flash floods and floods in the Seine basin, but also ensure in this case a minimum low water discharge, which contributes to flood management.

MAIN SEEN FLOWS

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River Rhin (Rhin) - the longest river in France ... However, this fact is disputed by many due to the fact that the river itself does not completely enter the territory of France in any place. The Rhine, which is one of the largest waterways in Europe, for France serves only as a border river. With a total length of 1,233 km, only 188 km are partly part of France. and for this indicator the Rhine ranks only 12th among the main rivers (fleuves) in France.

The Rhine takes its toll in Switzerland in the mountainous Alps at 2,346 meters above sea level in the Oberal Gorge. Descending along the northern slopes of the Alpine mountains, it plays the role of a border river between Switzerland and Austria, then between Switzerland and Germany, and then, for 188 km. acts as the natural eastern border of France with Germany, after which it carries its waters to German territory and never returns to France. The Rhine flows into the North Sea in the Netherlands, where it forms a vast delta. At the mouth, the average water discharge at the Rhine is about 2,330 m3 / s. The maximum value was recorded in 1926, when the water discharge at the mouth of the Rhine was 12,000 m3 / s. This is not always the case for the deep Rhine. In some particularly dry years, the Rhine becomes significantly shallower, and the water flow drops several times. For example, in 1947, the minimum water level was recorded at the mouth of the Rhine, its flow rate was no more than 600 m3 / s. The Rhine basin area is 198,000 km2. The last 883 km. upstream to the mouth - the Rhine is navigable. Large passenger and commercial vessels are allowed to navigate here.

The section of the Rhine, which runs along the border between France and Germany, belongs to the "Upper Rhine" (Rhin Superieur), and the flow rate of the Rhine at this point is about 450 m3 / s. Despite the fact that the Rhine has never completely crossed into the territory of France, it still has extensive drainage areas here. It is in the Rhine as left tributaries such French rivers as Moselle (560 km), Ile (216.7 km), Moder (82 km), Sauer (70 km) , forming the Rhine basin in France with an area of \u200b\u200babout 18.8 thousand square kilometers. Thus, the Rhine basin in France includes the area of \u200b\u200bthe Alsace region (in whole) and the Champagne-Ardenne region (in part). The watershed of the basins of the Rhine, Seine, Rhone and Meuse is the Vosges and partly the Ardennes.

From tributaries of the Rhine that flow through France the largest is the Moselle. However, with a total length of about 560 km. on the territory of France lies only 314 km. the upper Moselle. Subsequently, it leaves the territory of France and merges with the Rhine beyond its borders, in Germany at the city of Koblenz. But the second major tributary of the Rhine in France is ile river completely within its boundaries in the Alsace region. On its way, the Ile, passing almost parallel to the Rhine, collects the waters of all rivers and streams descending from the eastern slopes of the Vosges into the Upper Rhine Lowland, forming a basin with an area of \u200b\u200b4,760 km2, after which it flows into the Rhine near the city of Strasbourg on the border of France with Germany. These rivers, together with the Moder, which has a catchment area of \u200b\u200bmore than 1.5 thousand km2, make up main basin of the Rhine in France .

MAJOR FLOWS OF THE RHINE IN FRANCE

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River Meuse - the third longest river in France , although just like the Rhine - Meuse flows into the world ocean outside France. The total length of the Meuse River is 950 km, and the basin area is 36,000 sq. Km. At the same time, the length of the Meuse across France is only 486 km, and the basin area here is only 4,500 km2. It should be said that in France, the Meuse has another name - Meuse. This is what the local French call it, and the Maas river gets its name already in Belgium.

Meuse river originates at an altitude of 409 meters above sea level at the French village of Châtelet-sur-Meuse (Champagne-Ardenne region) on the Langres plateau, where, in addition to the Meuse, such rivers as the Seine, Marne and Ob. The next 486 km. The Meuse follows the territory of France (Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine) in the direction from south to north, after which, crossing the French border with Belgium, changes direction to the north-east and goes to the Belgian lands. In France, the Meuse acts as a kind of watershed between two famous rivers - the Rhine and the Seine, while having a narrow own basin, within which it receives the waters of such tributaries as the Sambre (190 km), Kieres (127 km) and other, smaller, tributaries: Bar , Aroff, Mouzon, Sormon, etc. The Meuse flows, like the Rhine, into the waters of the North Sea in the Netherlands. here, at the mouth, its discharge is about 460 cubic meters per second. In the place where the Meuse leaves the territory of France, its width is about 110 m, and the water consumption is over 140 cubic meters / s.

Thanks to the erected canal system in this part of France, The Meuse is a full navigable river ... Despite the fact that the river is assigned only I class of navigation with admission to navigation of vessels with a displacement of up to 400 tons, the commercial cargo turnover of river traffic on the Meuse is quite high. Even the absence of large tributaries in France does not affect the navigability of the Meuse. Already after the confluence of the Kier - Meuse river into the Meuse, it becomes quite full-flowing and is widely used in shipping. In addition, the water level in the channel of the Meuse is determined mainly by small rivers and streams (up to 70 km.), Flowing down from the adjacent slopes of the Ardennes. The canal system of the Nord-pas-de-Calais region also has a certain effect on the water level in the Meuse.

Meuse tributary, river Kjer originates in Luxembourg. However, after passing only a few kilometers along its territory, bypassing a small section through the Belgian territory, it goes to France, where it flows for more than 100 km. The Kier flows into the Meuse below the town of Douzi. The second major tributary of the Meuse is the Sambre River , which in its middle course is connected by a channel with the Oise River. Sambr is also navigable, has I class of navigation and is used in commercial navigation. It flows into the Meuse Sambre in Belgium.

MAIN FLOWS OF MAAS IN FRANCE

River Scheldt (Schelde) - the ninth longest river (fleuve) in France from those that flow into the ocean ... Its total length is 355 km, and the basin covers an area of \u200b\u200b21,860 sq. Km. Like the Meuse, the Scheldt begins its journey on the territory of France, and then leaves it. The Scheldt originates in the French department of the Aisne, near the village of Guy, 97 meters above sea level. For the next 98 km. the waters of this river flow through the territory of France from the south-west to the north-east, and then leave France and flow through the territory of Belgium. The Scheldt flows into the North Sea in the Netherlands, where it has the character of a full-flowing river with a water flow rate of 104 cubic meters per second.

The Scheldt basin is currently under the strict control of the European environmental associations. This is due to the fact that, despite its modest size in length, 11 million Europeans live within the Scheldt basin, and the territory is occupied by areas used in intensive agriculture, in the steel and chemical industries. This makes the Scheldt one of the most polluted rivers in Europe. This situation is especially typical at the mouth of the Scheldt. It should be noted that the situation has improved slightly since 1980.

The French section of the Scheldt River is also called Escaut (French - Escaut). In France, the Scheldt receives tributaries such as the Scarp (102 km), the Lis (195 km) and the Sel (46 km). The area of \u200b\u200bthe Scheldt Basin (Esco) in France is about 6 680 km2. Considering that the source of the river is located at an altitude of only 97 meters above sea level, the Scheldt is one of the calmest rivers along the slope of the channel. About 140 km. its paths are arranged in the form of canals and sluices, which ensures its relative abundance. As a result of the construction of such a system, it became possible to regulate the water level in the Scheldt channel, as a result of which the river received IV class of navigation and is capable of receiving vessels with a displacement of up to 1,500 tons.

The largest tributaries of the Scheldt are the Lis and Scarp rivers. Moreover, if the Scarp is a river in the real sense of the word, then the Lis river is such only in the upper reaches. Then it connects with the canal system of the French region Nord-pas-de-Calais and continues on its way already as an integral part of this system. Therefore, its length is 195 km. indicated very conditionally: this includes the duration of the canals that continue to carry the waters of the river. The Lis River begins its journey on the territory of France, here it merges with the aforementioned canal system and leaves the country as part of it. Adjacent to the Scheldt Lis already in Belgium near the city of Ghent.

Scarpe is a river located entirely within France. It has a length of about 102 km. and an impressive area of \u200b\u200bthe basin - 1,322 km2. It flows into the Scheldt almost on the border of France with Belgium at the town of Mortagne du Nord.

MAIN FLOWS OF THE SCHELDE

- the fourth longest river in France and, unlike the Rhine and the Meuse, does not leave France, but, on the contrary, brings here its waters from neighboring Switzerland. The total length of the river is 812 km, of which 545 km. Rhone overcomes in France. The area of \u200b\u200bthe river basin in France is 95,590 sq. Km, which is about 17% of the territory of the French metropolis.

originates at an altitude of 2209 m. above sea level in the canton du Vallee (Switzerland) and has mainly thaw-glacial nutrition. Flowing mainly from east to west, the Rhone crosses the alpine mountain ranges and flows into Lake Geneva, leaving which the Rhone enters the territory of France, where at Lyon it sharply changes its direction and directs its waters from north to south. Here the Rhone flows through the lowlands of the Rhone-Saone, and then, forming a small delta in the area of \u200b\u200bArles, flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

- the deepest river in France ... In addition, the Rhone is the second most abundant river that flows into the Mediterranean Sea, if you do not count the rivers flowing into the Black Sea. In this indicator, she is second only to the Neil. Its average slope is 2.72 m per 1 km. paths, which significantly exceeds similar indicators of other rivers (- 1.4 m., Rhine - 1.9 m., Seine - 0.58 m.). At the mouth, the average flow rate of the Rhone is 1,690 cubic meters per second, which is slightly less than that of the Rhine, but more than that of the Loire, Meuse, Seine and other "slow" rivers in France. In France, the Rhone receives tributaries such as the Du (453 km), Durance (323.8 km), Saone (480 km) and a number of smaller rivers. Several mountain ranges are the watershed of the Rhone basin from other rivers in France: the Alps separate the Rhone basin from the river basins of the Apennine Peninsula; Vosges and Jura - from the basin of the Rhine and Seine; Central French massif - from the basins of the Loire and Garonne.

In the area of \u200b\u200bLyon, the Rhone flows into its most powerful tributary is the Sona River with an impressive catchment area (29,950 km2). The Saône connects the Rhone with a network of canals with the Seine and Rhine river basins, making it possible to navigate the French rivers between the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the calm Sona that transfers the functions of an important transport artery to the Rhone, since by this time it has become so deep that it has a VIb class of navigation with the possibility of passing commercial vessels with a displacement of up to 12,000 tons. From this moment it becomes navigable in the full sense of the word.

Except for Sona, rhone main pool are left tributaries. It is on the left side that the rivers of Provence, Savoy and French Alps carry their waters to the Rhone. The largest among them are the Isère (286 km.), Which flows just above the city of Valence, then Drome (110.7 km.) And Durance (323.8 km.). In addition to these rivers, several more can be distinguished, which form the entire volume of water that passes in the channel of the Rhone when it flows into the Mediterranean Sea: the En River - 190 km., Tsez - 128.4 km., Gardon - 127.3 km., Eg - 114.2 km., Arv - 107.8 km.

MAIN RONA FLOWS

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River Garonne - the sixth longest river in France ... Its total length is 647 km, of which 523 km are in France. The area of \u200b\u200bthe Garonne basin is about 55 thousand sq. Km, of which more than 50 thousand sq. Km. falls on the territory of France, which is almost 9% of the territory of its metropolis.

Garonne originates in the Spanish Pyrenees, near the Aneto peak (the highest point of the Pyrenees) at an altitude of 3,404 meters above sea level and is glacier-fed. In the upper reaches of the Garonne, it is a very turbulent stream that crosses the Pyrenees mountain range and descends along the northern Pyrenean slopes into the Aquitaine lowlands, which it crosses from south to north and in the region of Bordeaux, merging with the Dordogne River passes into the Gironde estuary, belonging to waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the upper reaches, up to Toulouse, the water level in the Garonne, the speed of its flow depends on the speed of melting of snow cover and glaciers in the Pyrenees. Therefore, the river is full of water seasonally. The highest water level in the channel of the Garonne reaches during the period of precipitation and melting of snow (from December to the end of May). With the rapid melting of snow in the upper reaches of the Garonne, which often happens, the water level of the Garonne rises sharply here. The volume of water flow increases to 880-1050 m3 / s. Since June, the water in the Garonne gradually decreases, reaching its minimum in August. At this time, the lowest water flow rates in the channel of the Garonne were recorded - they drop to 190-250 m3 / s, which is several times less than in winter.

The Garonne is the most turbulent river in France ... Its average slope is about 5.25m. per 1 km., which is significantly higher than that of other large rivers in France. On its way, the Garonne receives the waters of a number of large tributaries: Baiz (187.7 km), Gers (175.4 km), Ariege (163.2 km), Sav (148.4 km), as well as many smaller rivers and streams. At the confluence of the Garonne into the world ocean, its width is about 800 meters, and the water flow rate is 650 cubic meters per second, which is the fourth indicator among French rivers. Garonne is second only to the Rhine, Rhone and Loire in this indicator.

Largest tributaries of the Garonne , influencing the nature of its course, performing the functions of stabilizers of the speed of water movement - the rivers and, flowing from the Massif Central and flowing into the Garonne on the right.

- river in the south of France , right tributary of the Garonne. The length of the river is 380 km2, the territory of the basin is over 15.7 thousand sq. Km. completely located in France. Average water discharge in Tarn is about 140 m3 / s.

Right tributary of the Garonne. It flows into the Garonne several tens of kilometers below the Tarn. The length of the river is 481 km., The territory of the basin is over 11.25 thousand sq. Km. The average water discharge in Lo is about 155 m3 / s. Considering that Lo, as it originates in the mountains (more precisely - in), is characterized by spring floods, in summer there are rain floods.

MAIN INFLUENDS OF GARONNA

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River Dordogne - the seventh longest river (fleuve) in France ... Its total length is 483 km, and the basin covers an area of \u200b\u200b23 957 sq. Km. The Dordogne, like the Seine, is completely located within one country - France.

The Dordogne river originates at an altitude of 1,885 meters above sea level in the Puy de Sancy mountain range, belonging to the Massif Central. Descending from the mountain slopes from east to west, the Dordogne enters the northern lands of the Aquitaine lowland, where its course calms down and it takes on the character of a flat river. Not far from Bordeaux, the Dordogne, merging with the Garonne, forms the Gironde estuary, which belongs to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. At the confluence of the Dordogne into the world ocean (into the Gironde estuary), its width is about 800 meters, and the water flow rate is 380 cubic meters per second.

Like most other French rivers on the Atlantic coast, dordogne river It is full-flowing and does not experience rainfall problems due to the humid maritime climate and abundant rainfall. The Dordogne has seasonal fluctuations in water levels. During the winter, the water level in the Dordogne rises. During this period, the average water discharge in the Dordogne bed increases to 345-470 m3 / s. However, from the end of March to September, the water level in the Dordogne gradually decreases. In August, the Dordogne has the lowest water level. During this period, the flow capacity in the river reaches only 80-100 m3 / s. The absolute minimum at this time is 81.2 m3 / s. However, this seasonality is conditional. Due to the large amount of precipitation falling on the Atlantic coast in some years, floods are possible on the Dordogne even in summer.

On his way The Dordogne receives waters from a number of large tributaries : Weser (211.2 km), Isl (255.3 km), Ser (120.4 km), Maronne (92.6 km), as well as many smaller rivers and streams. The tributaries Isle and Vezere are of the greatest importance. Together, these rivers have a basin area of \u200b\u200bmore than 11 thousand km2, which is almost half of the entire Dordogne basin.

The Weser River begins its journey in the Limousin region on the Dordogne watershed and. The Weser is a right tributary of the Dordogne, which overcomes a certain distance parallel to the Dordogne, and then, near the city of Limueil, flows into it. Slightly yielding to the second powerful tributary of the Dordogne (the Isl River) in length, the area of \u200b\u200bthe Weser basin is 2 times less than the area of \u200b\u200bthe Isla basin and is 3,736 km2.

The Isl River, like the Weser, is the right tributary of the Dordogne ... It is the longest and deepest tributary of the Dordogne and its watershed river. Isle separates the basins of the Dordogne and Charente rivers. Its length is over 250 km, and the basin area is 7,510 km2. Within its basin, Isl receives the waters of such large tributaries as the Dron (201 km) and Ovezer (112 km), as well as several smaller streams.

MAIN INFLUENDS OF DORDONI

River Charante - the eighth longest river (fleuve) in France from those that flow into the sea ... Its total length is 381.4 km, and the basin covers an area of \u200b\u200b9 855 sq. Km. Like the Dordogne, the Charente flows entirely through France, some distance north of the Dordogne. Its basin is a kind of watershed between the basins of two large French rivers - the Dordogne and the Loire.

Charente originates in the Haute Vienne department at an altitude of 295 meters above sea level and, flowing mainly from east to west, reaches the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, into which it flows near the city of Rochefort. The charente has a flat course and is mainly fed by rain, which affects its high flow. The Charente, despite its rather modest size, is a navigable river. She was assigned the II class of navigation with the ability to navigate ships with a displacement of up to 600 tons. Certain difficulties in navigation on the Charente are caused by several of its bridges located at a low height from the water level.

Charente is characterized by a rather modest water consumption ... At the point of its confluence with the Atlantic Ocean, its width is 560 meters, and the water discharge is 49 cubic meters per second, which is significantly lower than that of other large rivers in France. However, like other rivers on the Atlantic coast of France, the Charente has a certain seasonality in water level values. For example, in the winter months, when the amount of precipitation increases, floods occur on the Charente, sometimes strong. The maximum recorded values \u200b\u200bof water discharge in the Charente bed were recorded on December 1, 1982. Then this value reached 595 m3 / s, which is typical for much larger rivers.

Large tributaries of the Charente - Butonne (98.8 km), Sezhny (82.4 km), Ne (66.1 km) ... The basin area over 1000 km2 has only one tributary of the Charente - boutonne river ... This river has an average flow rate of only about 13 m3 / s, and does not significantly affect the high flow of the Charente, flowing into it in the lower course.

Sezhny and Ne rivers - left tributaries of the Charente and flow into it significantly upstream. For two, they have a catchment area of \u200b\u200babout 1,500 km2, which is more than 15% of the area of \u200b\u200bthe Charente basin and, along with the tributaries of the Tuvres and Antennes, ensure its navigability up to the town of Montignac, i.e. over 196 km.

MAIN INFLUENDS SHARANTS

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The river is the tenth longest river (fleuve) in France that flows into the ocean. Its total length is 309 km. Adour is entirely located in France and has a drainage basin of about 16,880 sq. Km.

The river originates in the French Pyrenees , near the peak de Bigorre at an altitude of 2,150 meters above sea level and has a thaw-glacier nutrition. In the upper reaches, it is a very turbulent stream that crosses the Pyrenees mountain range and descends along the northern Pyrenean slopes into the Aquitaine Plain, which it crosses from the south-east to the north-west. In the area of \u200b\u200bBayona, the Adur flows into the Atlantic Ocean. At this point, it is 160 meters wide, although along its course the Adur reaches more than 450 meters in places.

, together with Charente, Dordogne, Garonne and Law was one of the five rivers along which river transport began to develop in southern France. In the Middle Ages, ships transported goods along the Adour from the inner southwestern regions of Aquitaine to the Atlantic coast, and from there to the main seaports of France. In the 15th-18th centuries, Adur in its region was the main trade route for the forges, mills located in its basin, and since 1530 - for the production of paper. At the end of the 19th century, due to the development of railway transport and the construction of railway lines in the region, the role of Adur in the transport communication of settlements began to decline.

Currently Adur is navigable to the Yurt commune Here the width of the Adura river reaches 120 meters. It can be said that Adur is navigable up to the confluence of the Gav reuni river. It is on this site along Aduru provides navigation of light pleasure passenger ships ... However, as a transport artery, Adur has long lost its former importance and is rarely used in this capacity.

By the nature of the Adur flow very similar to Garonne. In winter, when the amount of precipitation in the region increases, as well as in spring due to melting snow in the Pyrenees, the Adura channel fills. Floods are possible here, and the flow rate of the Adur at the place of its confluence with the Gav de Po tributary increases to 350-440 m3 / s. In May and throughout the summer, the water level in the Adura channel gradually decreases. This indicator acquires its minimum values \u200b\u200bin August-September, when the water discharge near the river does not exceed 120 m3 / s on average. After that, throughout all the autumn months, the Adura channel again begins to gradually fill with water due to precipitation in the mountains. At the confluence of the Adura into the Atlantic Ocean, its water discharge averages 350 cubic meters per second.

The basin area is 16,880 km2. The main tributaries of the Adura are the Miduz (151 km), Gav de Po (193.1 km), Lui (154.5 km), Arro (131 km), Gaba (117 km), Bidouz (82.4 km)... Many of these rivers are variable in nature and even in length. For instance, rivers Gave de Po and Miduz during the year they change their length twice. Gav de Pau varies from 80 to 193 km, and Miduz - from 43 to 151 km. This is due to the fact that the basis of the supply of these rivers are melt waters, formed as a result of melting snow on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees. During the summer months, when the sources of the rivers run dry for natural reasons, these tributaries of the Adur lose most of their path.

More or less constant in their course remain such tributaries of the Adura as Niv, Arro, Biduz, Lui ... Despite being smaller than the previous tributaries, they have a more significant impact on the Adur. In the summer months, they maintain the water level in the Adura, and in the winter, like most rivers in this region, they overflow. The Miduz River has the largest catchment basins of all the tributaries of the Adura - 3,590 km2, and the Gav de Pau in the winter and spring months, when it does not experience problems with water supply, its basin reaches an area of \u200b\u200b2,600 km2.

Of these rivers, first of all, the largest: Vilaine, and Blavet in Brittany, Somme in Picardy, Orne in Normandy, Sevre niortaise in Poitou-Charente, in Languedoc-Roussillon other. And the drainage basin in total is slightly less than 23% of the territory of France, which is not small, and among them there are quite large and full-flowing rivers.

River Vilaine - river in Brittany , in the west of France. The source of the river is in the department of Mayenne. Vilen flows into the Atlantic Ocean near the town of Trehiguier in the department of Morbihan. At its headwaters, it is part of the connecting water system between Saint-Malo and Rennes. The river flows through 4 departments: Mayenne, Ile et Vilaine, Loire Atlantique and Morbihan and 4 main cities: Rennes, Vitre, Redon and La Roche-Bernard, its main tributary (right) is the Ult River (150 km). The length of the Vilen River is 218.1 km, and the catchment area is 10,500 km2, which is more than, for example, the Charente. The Guérande Peninsula separates the estuaries of Vilaine and the Loire and is a kind of watershed between these rivers. Vilen is part of the British Canal system. From Rennes to the Atlantic Ocean, the river is navigable for small ships. Here the river has been assigned the II class of navigability, which allows it to operate ships with a displacement of up to 600 tons.

River Blavet - the second main river in Brittany ... Also, like Vilen, it has its own tributary system and catchment basin. The river originates east of the Bula-Pestiviens commune in the Côte d'Armor department, flows through the Saint-Nicolas du Peland and Guarec communes, crosses the border with the Morbihan department, then through the Pontivy communes, Ennebon, flows into the Atlantic Ocean within the city Lorient. Food is mainly rain-fed. The river is 148.9 km long and the basin area is 1,974 km2. The largest tributary of the Blave is the Evel River, which is 56 km long. The river bed is canalized for a large extent; in the lower reaches, navigation is possible for small vessels. Along with the Vilaine river, Blavet forms the basis of the river system of the Brittany region, the territory of which does not have access to the basins of the main rivers of France.

- one of the largest rivers in the south of France ... Aude originates in Capsira (Pyrenees-Orientales) on the eastern slope of the Carlitt Mountains at 2,136 meters above sea level. Mainly flows through the Languedoc-Roussillon region. The river is 224.1 km long and the basin area is 5 327 km2. The largest tributary is the Orbyo River, which is 84 km long. The water level in Oda is often influenced by weather conditions. In 1999, due to heavy rainfall, Oda suffered a devastating flood that killed 35 people.

Somme (fr.Somme) - river in the north of France ... The Somme forms the backbone of the Picardy river system, much of which does not belong to the basins of the main French rivers. The length of the Somma River is 245 km, the basin area is 5,560 km2. The river originates from the town of Fonsom (department of Aisne, flows mainly to the west, flows into the English Channel, forming an estuary (Somme Bay). It is fed mainly by rain; the average water discharge near the mouth is about 45 m3 / s. Runoff changes little during the year The river is navigable almost along its entire length and is connected by canals to the Oise and Scheldt.

Normandy, like Picardy, has its own river, which flows into the ocean and has its own vast catchment basin. The Orne River forms the basis local river system. The river is 169.6 km long and the basin area is 2,932 km2. It flows into the English Channel 13 km north-north-east of the city of Caen. The Orne has no major tributaries. The longest of them is the Iron River, which is only 37 km long. However, this does not prevent the Orne from being a full-flowing river. At the mouth, the water discharge is about 27.5 m3 / s.

Sèvres-Niorthez - a river in western France in the regions of Poitou-Charentes and the Loirelands. Its length is about 158 \u200b\u200bkm, and the basin area is 3,650 km2. The source of the river is located near the town of Sepvre in the department of Deux-Sèvres. The Sevre Niorthez flows through the town of Niort, and then its course becomes the main waterway in the Poitou swamps. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The mouth of the river is located opposite the island of Re. Here the river has a flow rate of about 44 m3 / s, which makes it deep and suitable for navigation. For 100 kilometers of the lower reaches of the Sevres Nyorthez, navigation is carried out by small commercial vessels with a displacement of up to 400 tons. The Sevres-Nyorthez and Sevres-Nantez rivers gave the name to the department of Deux-Sèvres.

Other rivers flow in France having an independent drainage basin and flowing into the ocean. However, their length does not exceed 150 km, and the basin area is not much more than 1,000 km2. Most of these rivers are small streams, the width of the channel at the mouth of which does not exceed 5-10 meters, and the length is no more than 50-70 km. The largest of them are the Herault river, 148 km long, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea; river Aulne - 140 km., Vir (Vire) - length 128 km., River Lai (Lay) - 120 km.

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