Rhine River

Rhine River Latest News

The water levels in the Rhine River, a major highway for European freight traffic, recently sank below the record set in October 2018.

About Rhine River

• It is a river and waterway of Western Europe. 
• It is the 12th longest river in Europe and the longest in Western Europe.
• It is called different names depending on the country it flows through. It is called Rhein in Germany, Rhine in France, and Rijn in the Netherlands.
• Course: 
  • Origin: In the Alps of eastern Switzerland, two mountain streams run together to form the Rhine. 
  • It flows through six countries–Switzerland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, and the Netherlands before flowing into the North Sea at Rotterdam, Netherlands.
  • The Rhine forms a natural border between Germany and France.
• Total Length: 1,232 km
• The river drains an area of about 185,000 sq.km. 
• The Rhine, alongside the Danube, formed the Roman Empire’s northern inland frontier.
• The Rhine served as a formidable German border during World War II, a defensive barrier to Allied troops.
• Tributaries: Some of the notable tributaries include Aare, Tamina, Moselle, Erft, Rein da Tuma, Plessur, Rotach, and Wiese.
• The Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen in Switzerland is Europe’s largest waterfall, 150 meters wide and 23 meters high.  
• The Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Germany is famous for its castles, vineyards, and the legendary Lorelei Rock. 
• The river basin is home to around 58 million people, passing densely populated regions.
• The major cities along the Rhine include Basel (Switzerland), Cologne, Bonn, Duisburg, Mainz, Leverkusen, and Neuss (Germany), Strasbourg (France), and Rotterdam and Utrecht (Netherlands).
• It is Europe’s most important commercial waterway, channeling the flow of trade among Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
• It facilitates industrial transportation and supports industrial production, with about 20% of the world’s chemical industries manufacturing along the river.

News: IE

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