Danube - Simple English Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Danube

• Donau(German)
• Dunaj(Slovak)
• Duna(Hungarian)
• Dunav / Дунав(Serbo-Croatian)
• Дунав(Bulgarian)
• Dunărea(Romanian)
• Дунай(Ukrainian)

The Danube in BudapestCourse of the Danube, marked in redLocationCountries

• Germany
• Austria
• Slovakia
• Hungary
• Croatia
• Serbia
• Bulgaria
• Romania
• Moldova
• Ukraine

Cities

• Ulm
• Ingolstadt
• Regensburg
• Linz
• Vienna
• Bratislava
• Győr
• Budapest
• Dunaújváros
• Apatin
• Vukovar
• Novi Sad
• Zemun
• Belgrade
• Pančevo
• Smederevo
• Drobeta-Turnu Severin
• Vidin
• Giurgiu
• Ruse
• Călărași
• Brăila
• Galați
• Izmail
• Tulcea
• Sulina

Physical characteristicsSourceBreg-locationFurtwangen im Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany-coordinates48°05′44″N 08°09′18″E / 48.09556°N 8.15500°E / 48.09556; 8.15500-elevation1,078m (3,537ft)2nd sourceBrigach-locationSt. Georgen im Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany-coordinates48°06′24″N 08°16′51″E / 48.10667°N 8.28083°E / 48.10667; 8.28083-elevation940m (3,080ft)Source confluence-locationDonaueschingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany-coordinates47°57′03″N 08°31′13″E / 47.95083°N 8.52028°E / 47.95083; 8.52028MouthDanube Delta-locationUkraine-coordinates45°13′3″N 29°45′41″E / 45.21750°N 29.76139°E / 45.21750; 29.76139Length2,850km (1,770mi)[1]Basin size801,463km2 (309,447sqmi)Discharge-locationBefore the Danube Delta-average(Period: 1931-2010) 6,510m3/s (230,000cuft/s)[2] (Period: 1970-2015) 6,546m3/s (231,200cuft/s)[3]-minimum1,790m3/s (63,000cuft/s)[2]-maximum15,900m3/s (560,000cuft/s)[2]Discharge-locationPassau, Bavaria, Germany30km before town-average580m3/s (20,000cuft/s)Discharge-locationVienna, Austria-average1,900m3/s (67,000cuft/s)Discharge-locationBudapest, Hungary-average2,350m3/s (83,000cuft/s)Discharge-locationBelgrade, Serbia-average5,600m3/s (200,000cuft/s)

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 2,860km (1,777mi) 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: Esperanto: Danubo, Bulgarian: Дунав (Dunav), German and Plattdüütsch: Donau, Bavarian: Doana, Greek: Dounavis, Ancient Greek: Ister, Croatian: Dunav, Turkish: Tuna, Latin: Danuvius or Danubius, Romanian: Dunăre, Serbian: Дунав, Slovak: Dunaj, Ukrainian: Dunay.

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 64km Danube-Black Sea Canal, between Cernavodă and Constanţa (Romania) finished in 1984, shortens the distance to the Black Sea by 400km
• the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal (about 171km), 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.