The Danube corresponds to a European river that ranks second in length, surpassed only by the Volga river.
The Danube River is favorable for navigation for most of its path. Its source is located in the Black Forest, in German territory. The river is 2850 kilometers long until it flows into the Black Sea.
In addition to its navigation potential, it serves to delimit territories, that is, used as a natural border for ten European countries. The river cuts through important European cities such as Ulm, Ingolstadt, Regensburg, Linz, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Ruse, Braila and Galati.
The Danube has a basin covering an area of 795 686 square kilometers, to make up its waters. it needs its tributaries, the main ones being the lller, Lech, Inn, Drava, Sava, Morava, Tisza and Prut. The countries that are part of the Danube basin are: Germany, Slovakia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Ukraine.
In the transport system, the Danube River occupies a prominent place, as it is used as an important connection point between different places within Europe. Its waters are important sources of income, since it runs through several areas of high industrial levels and also important urban centers.
The Danube is not only marked by its economic and logistical potential, but also by the high volume of pollutants that receives pollutants from different sources along its route across the continent, from urban waste to industrial. What alleviates pollution is its mouth, which has the ability to retain pollutants, this is because of the great biodiversity existing in the place, mainly because it is one of the conservation areas of the Europe.
By Eduardo de Freitas
Graduated in Geography
