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.

Danube Donau (German) Dunaj (Slovak) Duna (Hungarian) Dunav / Дунав (Serbo-Croatian) Дунав (Bulgarian) Dunărea (Romanian) Дунай (Ukrainian)
The Danube in Budapest
Course of the Danube, marked in red
Location
Countries	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 characteristics
Source	Breg
- location	Furtwangen im Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- coordinates	48°05′44″N 08°09′18″E
- elevation	1,078 m (3,537 ft)
2nd source	Brigach
- location	St. Georgen im Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- coordinates	48°06′24″N 08°16′51″E
- elevation	940 m (3,080 ft)
Source confluence
- location	Donaueschingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- coordinates	47°57′03″N 08°31′13″E
Mouth	Danube Delta
- location	Ukraine
- coordinates	45°13′3″N 29°45′41″E
Length	2,850 km (1,770 mi)[1]
Basin size	801,463 km2 (309,447 sq mi)
Discharge
- location	Before the Danube Delta
- average	(Period: 1931-2010) 6,510 m3/s (230,000 cu ft/s)[2] (Period: 1970-2015) 6,546 m3/s (231,200 cu ft/s)[3]
- minimum	1,790 m3/s (63,000 cu ft/s)[2]
- maximum	15,900 m3/s (560,000 cu ft/s)[2]
Discharge
- location	Passau, Bavaria, Germany 30km before town
- average	580 m3/s (20,000 cu ft/s)
Discharge
- location	Vienna, Austria
- average	1,900 m3/s (67,000 cu ft/s)
Discharge
- location	Budapest, Hungary
- average	2,350 m3/s (83,000 cu ft/s)
Discharge
- location	Belgrade, Serbia
- average	5,600 m3/s (200,000 cu ft/s)

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: Esperanto: Danubo, Bulgarian: Дунав (Dunav), German and Plattdüütsch: Donau, Bavarian: Doana, Greek: Dounavis, Ancient Greek: Ister, Croatian: Duna, Turkish: Tuna, Latin: Danuvius or Danubius, Romanian: Dunăre, Croatian: Dunav, 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 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.