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Famous Spanish Rivers
On Friday, June 1, 2012 by Merel Loomans
The main rivers in Spain are the Duero, the Ebro, the Tagus, the Guadalquivir and the Guadiana. These many Spanish rivers flow as much as hundreds of kilometers through the country and generate a lot of energy. Most rivers in Spain are unnavigable.
In northern Spain, the Duero and the Ebro run; in central Spain, the Tagus, the Guadiana and the Júcar flow. In southern Spain, the Guadalquivir and Segura rivers run.
The Duero River
The Duero River flows together with the Tagus River from the central plateaus westward to Portugal. The Duero rises in the region of Castile and León and flows into Portugal. The name Duero also means "Golden River." This Spanish river has a length of 897 kilometers, making it one of the largest river basins in the Iberian Peninsula.
The Tagus
The Tagus flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. This Spanish river is about 1,000 kilometers long and flows past Toledo, among other places. The Tagus is used to irrigate surrounding agricultural areas. Wine is grown along its banks.
The Ebro
At 900 kilometers in length, the Ebro is Spain's longest river and runs past Zaragoza. This. Spanish river is the only river that flows to the Mediterranean Sea.
The Guadalquivir River
The Guadalquivir is about 650 kilometers long and flows past Córdoba and Seville. This Spanish river empties into the Gulf of Seville and is navigable as far as Córdoba for ocean-going vessels.
The Guadiana
The Guadiana forms a border between Portugal and Spain and flows past the cities of Mérida and Badajoz. The unusual thing about the Guadiana is that this river suddenly disappears underground and only reappears after a few kilometers.
Other major Spanish rivers include the Júcar and the Segura. The Júcar empties into the Mediterranean Sea after 500 kilometers and flows through the provinces of Cuenca, Albacete and Valencia. The Segura is a slightly smaller river known for its floods and flows past Murcia, among others.
Most Spanish rivers have variable water supplies, this is mainly due to the many mountains and alternating rainwater. As a result, most rivers in Spain are unnavigable for navigation. Only the Guadalquivir from Seville is navigable downstream. The Duero and Ebro rivers usually have enough water but the differences in elevation also make them unusable for navigation.
Strong soil erosion is present in the rivers of Spain. As a result, they generally carry a lot of sediment, creating deltas. In the northeast in Galicia, Spanish rivers have wide estuaries.
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