One of the largest waterways in the world is the Volga River. Which ocean basin does it belong to? This is Europe, which has no drain. It flows into and therefore belongs to his basin. This water carries its waters through almost the entire European part of Russia. mighty river... Many towns and villages are built on its banks. It has long been for people both a breadwinner and a transport artery.

Volga river

Which ocean basin does this belong to water artery studying at school. But not everyone imagines that the Caspian Sea, into which it flows, is internal and has no runoff. And the Volga is the most big river in Europe. It begins on the Valdai Upland near the village of Volgoverkhovye.

From a small stream it turns into a mighty deep river and flows into the Caspian Sea near the city of Astrakhan, forming a wide delta. At the source and estuary are located at a distance of more than three and a half thousand kilometers, therefore it is conventionally divided into three parts, which differ slightly in hydrological and ecological conditions.

  1. The Upper Volga is a section from the source to the confluence of the Oka River. Here it flows through dense forests.
  2. From the Oka to the mouth of the Kama - the middle Volga. This site is located in the forest-steppe and steppe zones.
  3. Lower Volga- from the Kama River to the confluence with the Caspian Sea. It flows through the steppe and semi-desert zones.

Volga river basin

About a third of the European territory of Russia is connected with this river. Its basin extends from the Valdai and Central Russian Uplands to Ural mountains, it covers an area of ​​almost one and a half million square kilometers. This full-flowing mighty river feeds mainly on melt water. Several large rivers and many small ones - only about 200. The most famous of them are Kama and Oka. In addition, its tributaries are Sheksna, Vetluga, Sura, Mologa and others.

At the source, the Volga is split into several branches. The largest of them is Akhtuba, which is more than 500 kilometers long. But the Volga River carries its waters not only to the Caspian Sea. Which ocean basin this waterway belongs to, you can find out in any encyclopedia. But people connected it with other seas using canals: the Volga-Baltic and Volga-Don ones are known. And through the Severodvinsk system, it connects with the White Sea.

Every inhabitant of our country knows the Volga River. True, not everyone knows which ocean basin this symbol of Russia belongs to. There are a few more interesting facts about this river, which few people know:


Economic value

The Volga River basin has long fed and provided people living on its banks. There are many game animals in the forests, and the waters are rich in fish - about 70 species are found in it. Huge areas around the river are occupied by crops, gardening and melon growing are also developed. In the Volga basin there are large deposits oil and gas, deposits of potash and table salt... This waterway is also of great importance as a transport highway. The Volga has been used for navigation for a long time, huge caravans went along it - up to 500 ships. Now, in addition to this, several dams and hydroelectric power plants have been built on the river.

or catchment- part the earth's surface, including the layer of soil from which the river or river network receives water supply. The catchment area genetically determines the quantity and quality of runoff, thereby laying down the basic parameters of natural water resources.

Each river basin has a surface and an underground catchment area. A surface catchment is an area of ​​the earth's surface from which water flows into a river network. An underground drainage basin is a part of a stratum of soils, from which water flows underground into the river network. The surface catchment may not coincide with the underground one.

A river flowing directly into the sea or into an endless lake is called the main one; the rivers flowing into the main one are tributaries of the first order, then there are tributaries of the second order, third, etc. The aggregate of the main river with all its tributaries forms a river system. The ratio of the total length of all rivers in the basin (or other territory) to the area characterizes the density of the river network.

On the territory of Russia are located in whole or in part 8 of the 50 largest world river basins: the basins of the Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur, Volga, Dnieper, Don, Ural rivers.
The largest pool area has river Ob- 2990 thousand km2; the length of the river is 3650 km (from the source of the Katun River - 4338 km, from the source of the Irtysh River - 5410 km). At the confluence of the Ob Bay of the Kara Sea, the Ob River forms a delta with an area of ​​over

V Yenisei river basin(the basin area is 2580 thousand km2, the length of the river is 3487 km; the length from the sources of the Maly Yenisei River is 4102 km). unique lake Baikal, which, together with the adjacent territories, including protected areas, belongs to the World Natural Heritage Sites.
Square Lena river basin is 2490 thousand km2. The river, 4400 km long, originates on the slopes of the Baikal ridge, flows into the Laptev Sea, forming a large (about 30 thousand km2) delta.

Most of the Amur river basin located on the territory of Russia. Amur is one of the largest rivers in the Far East region (length 2824 km; from the source of the Argun River - 4440 km; basin area 1855 km2). A serious problem of the river is the intensive development of the right bank of the river by the PRC, in connection with which the load on the ecosystems of the basin has sharply increased in the last decade. The wasteful use of natural resources, with a significant difference between Chinese environmental standards and Russian standards, leads to a change in the natural resource potential, in particular, to the deterioration of the state of valuable species commercial fish, violation of seasonal migration routes of ungulates and protected species of waterfowl, to a change in the channel of the river as a result of uncontrolled excavation work in the water protection zone, its pollution with harmful substances.
Catchment area the Volga river basin- the largest in Europe - is 1360 thousand km2, that is, 62.2% of the European part of Russia, 8% of the area of ​​Russia, almost 13% of the territory of Europe. Directly into the Volga (3530 km long) 2,600 rivers flow, and in total there are more than 150 thousand watercourses in the basin with a length of more than 10 km. Its largest tributaries are the Oka and Kama rivers. The catchment area of ​​small rivers is 45% total area pool.

VOLGA, a river in the European part of Russia, the largest in Europe. The length is 3530 km (before the construction of the reservoirs, 3690 km), the area of ​​the basin is 1360 thousand km 2 (it occupies 65% of the territory of the European part and 8% of the entire territory of Russia).

The Volga basin belongs to the drainless basin of the Caspian Sea and is entirely located within the East European Plain. It stretches from the Valdai and Central Russian Uplands in the west to the Urals in the east for almost 2.3 thousand km.

The Volga originates from the Valdai Upland. In the past, various rivers were considered its source: Runa, Kud, Zhukopa, flowing into the Volga in the upper reaches. At the end of the 19th century, the expedition of D.N. wooden blockhouse enclosed by a terrace).

It is customary to divide the Volga into 3 parts: the Upper Volga - from the source to the mouth of the Oka River, the Middle Volga - from the mouth of the Oka to the mouth of the Kama River and the Lower Volga - from the mouth of the Kama to the Caspian Sea. During the first kilometers of its course, the Volga is a stream winding through a wooded and swampy area. V upstream, within the Valdai Upland, the Volga flows through the small lakes Verkhit, Sterzh, Vselug, Peno and Volgo.

A dam (Verkhnevolzhsky beishlot) was built at the source from Lake Volgo in 1843 to regulate the flow of water and maintain navigable depths during low water periods. The only conditionally natural section of the Volga with a length of about 400 km ends near the city of Tver. Below, to the very mouth, the river is completely transformed by hydraulic structures (the largest were built in 1950-60) and is a cascade of hydroelectric power plants with reservoirs. Ivankovskoe (the so-called Moscow Sea), Uglichskoe and Rybinskoe reservoirs were created between Tver and Rybinsk. On the Rybinsk - Yaroslavl section and below the city of Kostroma, the river flows in a narrow valley among high banks, crossing the Danilovskaya and Galichskaya uplands. Further flows along the Unzha and Balakhna lowlands. Near the town of Gorodets (above the town of Nizhny Novgorod), the Gorky Reservoir was formed. The main tributaries of the Upper Volga: Tverda, Medveditsa, Mologa, Suda, Kostroma and Unzha (left).

In the middle reaches, the Volga becomes more full-flowing. It flows along the northern edge of the Volga Upland. Above the city of Cheboksary is the Cheboksary reservoir. Most large tributaries Middle Volga - Oka, Sura, Sviyaga (right) and Vetluga (left).

In the lower reaches, after the confluence of the Kama (left tributary), the Volga becomes a mighty river. Above the city of Togliatti, the Kuibyshev reservoir was formed. Further, the Volga goes around the Zhiguli mountains, forming an arched bend Samarskaya Luka... The Saratov reservoir is located above Balakovo. The Lower Volga receives relatively small tributaries - Samara, Bolshoi Irgiz, Eruslan (left) and Tereshka (right). 21 km above the city of Volgograd, the left branch is separated from the Volga - the Akhtuba River, which flows parallel to the main channel. The vast space between the Volga and Akhtuba, up to 40 km wide, crossed by numerous channels and old rivers, forms the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain. The Lower Volga runoff is regulated by the Volgograd hydroelectric complex.

Flowing into the Caspian Sea, the Volga forms a vast delta. The mouth of the river lies 26 m below the level of the World Ocean. The delta begins at the point where the Buzan branch separates from its channel (46 km north of Astrakhan) and is one of the largest in Russia (19 thousand km 2). There are up to 500 branches, channels and small rivers in the delta. The main branches are Bakhtemir (navigable), Kamyzyak, Staraya Volga, Bolda, Buzan, Akhtuba. Downstream of the Buzan source, a water divider was built to redistribute the flood flow between the eastern and western parts of the delta, which ensures annual flooding (even in dry years) in its eastern part of the spawning grounds of semi-anadromous fish.

Hydrological regime. The river system of the Volga basin includes more than 150 thousand watercourses with a length of over 10 km total length 574 thousand km. 2600 rivers flow directly into the Volga and its reservoirs. The left tributaries are more numerous and more watery than the right ones. Most of the tributaries are located in the upper and middle parts of the river, below the mouth of the Kama they are small, shallow, many of them dry up in summer. Most of the tributaries are typically flat rivers with wide, well-developed valleys and the asymmetry of slopes characteristic of the Northern Hemisphere. The Volga basin is located in the southern part of the forest zone, in the forest-steppe, steppe and semi-desert zones. Most of the basin (72% together with the foothill part of the Urals) is located in the forest zone, where 87% of the runoff is formed. It is fed by snow (60% of the annual runoff), ground (30%) and rain (10%).

The nature water regime The Volga belongs to the Eastern European type with a pronounced spring flood, summer-autumn low-water period, disturbed by rain floods, and a stable winter low-water period. V natural conditions in spring, 55-66% of the annual runoff took place, in the summer-autumn period - 24-32%, in winter - 10-13%. The cascade of hydroelectric complexes on the Volga and its tributaries has a great regulating effect on the water and level regime of the river, the runoff has significantly (1.5-2 times) decreased during the flood period and the runoff increased during low-water periods, especially in winter.

65% of the annual runoff of the Volga is formed in the Kama basin, the Middle Volga basin accounts for 22%, the Upper - 13% of the runoff. Average annual water consumption (m 3 / s): at the Verkhnevolzhsky beyslot 30, at Tver 180, at Yaroslavl 1010, at Nizhny Novgorod 2970, near Samara 7300, near Volgograd 7500. Below Volgograd, the river loses about 5% of its runoff for evaporation. During periods when the annual runoff was close to natural, the Volga annually brought about 250 km 3 of water to the Caspian Sea. The range of runoff fluctuations for the period of instrumental observations (since 1881) was 240 km 3. So, in 1926 more than 390 km 3 of water passed along the Volga, and in 1937 - 150 km 3. The longest period of low water was observed in 1933-40. The average annual runoff for this period was 185 km 3, which is 25% below the norm. A long period of low water was observed in the late 1970s. From 1978 to the end of the 20th century, there was a period of increased water content on the Volga. In 1978-95, the runoff increased by an average of 30% compared to the previous dry period and by about 5% compared to the norm. The distribution of the mean long-term runoff layer over the territory of the Volga basin is generally zonal. It varies from 250 mm in the northern part to values ​​close to zero in the south. This distribution of the runoff layer is violated in the areas of the Middle and South Urals, where its value, as a rule, is higher than the zonal values.

The Volga freezes in the upper and middle reaches at the end of November, in the lower - at the beginning of December. It opens up in the upper reaches in early April, in the lower reaches in mid-March, and throughout the rest of the course in mid-April. The river remains free of ice for about 200 days, near Astrakhan - about 250 days. With the creation of reservoirs, the ice regime of the Volga has changed: in the upper reaches the duration of ice phenomena has increased, in the lower ones there are ice-free openings almost every year, which have different lengths depending on the temperature and release regimes.

The average annual flow of suspended sediment near Volgograd is 23 million tons. The delta receives an average of 12.5 million tons of sediment, 87% of which occurs in the spring, 11% - during low-water periods and 2% - in winter. The average annual water turbidity in the delta branches is 50-60 g / m 3, the maximum is 100-160 g / m 3 (observed in April - May). As a result of regulation, the solid runoff on the Volga decreased by more than three times. The waters of most of the rivers in the Volga basin belong to the hydrocarbonate class. The salinity and hardness of the water increases from the forest zone to the semi-desert.

Resources and their economic use. The Volga is inhabited by about 70 species of fish, 40 of them are of commercial importance, including the most valuable sturgeon, as well as roach, bream, pike perch, carp, herring. The decline in the number of some fish species in last years associated with the deterioration of the ecological situation, as well as with a change in the hydrological and hydrobiological regimes, deterioration of the conditions for fish spawning and feeding of juveniles. Earlier in the Volga basin more than half of fish catches in inland water bodies of Russia and over 90% of sturgeon were caught. Over the past decades, productivity fisheries decreased several times. A catastrophic situation has been created with sturgeon stocks, which is due to poaching throughout the entire Caspian Sea, as well as insufficient work on artificial reproduction, protection and conservation of sturgeon numbers in feeding and spawning grounds.

The total volume of the Volga-Kama cascade of reservoirs is 168 km 3, useful - 80 km 3. Almost all reservoirs are of a flat type with large flooded areas. During their construction, more than 20 thousand km 2 of highly productive floodplain lands were taken out of use. All HPPs of the Volga cascade produce about 40 billion kWh of electricity per year. Within the Volga basin, 37 subjects are fully or partially located Russian Federation... It is the most densely populated region of Russia, with a population of about 60 million people. The Volga basin produces 1/3 of all industrial and agricultural products in Russia, which determines high degree anthropogenic load.

Water withdrawal from natural water bodies of the basin at the end of the 20th century was approximately 26.5 km 3 / year (10% of the annual flow of the Volga and 30% of the total water withdrawal in Russia). In the 1990s, the volume of water use in the basin decreased by more than 30%, which is associated with a decline in industrial and agricultural production. The largest number water (57%) is used for production needs, 29% - for public utilities, 14% - for agricultural needs. Water consumption is unevenly distributed throughout the basin: the maximum values ​​are in the Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Astrakhan regions and Perm Territory; the minimum water consumption is observed in industrially less developed areas of the northern part of the basin (Perm Territory and Kirov region) and in the Republic of Mari El.

The discharge of waste and return waters amounted to about 17.5 km 3 / year, of which almost half is polluted waste water. As a result of anthropogenic impact, the waters of large and significant parts of small rivers in the Volga basin are polluted. Wastewater is the main source of pollution. industrial enterprises, municipal and agricultural waste water. The main pollutants are petroleum products, copper compounds, easily oxidized organic matter... A comprehensive assessment of the degree of pollution of the Volga at the end of the 20th century indicates that the quality of the river's water changed from “polluted” to “dirty”, and the tributaries - from “polluted” to “extremely dirty”.

Volga is connected to Baltic Sea Volga-Baltic waterway, with the White Sea - the Severo-Dvinskaya water system and the White Sea-Baltic canal, with the Azov and Black seas - the Volga-Don canal, with the Moscow River - the Moscow canal. Regular shipping is carried out from the city of Rzhev (over 3200 km). Popular tourist routes pass along the Volga. In the river basin there are Astrakhan, Volzhsko-Kamsky, Zhigulevsky, Prioksko-Terrasny reserves, national parks Meshchersky, Samarskaya Luka and other protected natural areas... The largest industrial centers and ports on the Volga are Tver, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Cheboksary, Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Togliatti, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd, Astrakhan.

I. S. Zaitseva.

Historical sketch. The first mentions of the Volga are found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC). In the works of ancient authors of the first centuries of our era (Ptolemy and Marcellinus), the Volga is called Ra (‘pα,“ generous ”). In written Byzantine and Arabic sources, along with this name, Itil was used, or Ethel ("river of rivers", " great river"). In the "Tale of Bygone Years" it is referred to as the Volga (from the Old Russian "vologa" - liquid, water, or from the Finno-Ugric "valga" - "bright river"). Geographical position The Volga and its large tributaries determined its transformation into the largest waterway, determined the most important political and trade value... In the Volga basin, there were large state formations- Khazar Kaganate, Bulgaria Volzhsk-Kama. In the 9-10th centuries, the cities of Itil, Bolgar and others played a significant role in the Volga trade, in the 10th - 1st third of the 13th century - Russian cities (Novgorod, Rostov, Suzdal, Murom). The Mongol-Tatar invasion temporarily interrupted contacts along the Volga, except for the Upper Volga basin, where the Novgorod Republic, the Yaroslavl principality existed, as well as the Vladimir Grand Duchy, from which the Tver principality emerged in the middle of the 13th century. At the end of the 13th century, the Gorodets principality was formed on the Middle Volga. A significant part of the territories in the middle reaches, as well as territories in the lower reaches of the Volga, fell under the rule of the Golden Horde, here its largest centers arose (Sarai, Sarai Novy). In the 14th century, the Nizhny Novgorod principality was formed on the Middle Volga. In the 15th century, the Kazan Khanate and the Astrakhan Khanate, which were annexed to the Russian state in 1552 and 1556, became the heirs of the disintegrated Golden Horde. As a result, the entire Volga basin was included in it. This revived Russian trade with the countries of the East. In the 16-17 centuries, new cities arose - Samara, Saratov, Tsaritsyn (now Volgograd) and others. In the 17-18 centuries, the Volga basin became the main scene of the insurgents during the Razin uprising of 1670-71 and the Pugachev uprising of 1773-75. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Volga basin was connected by the Mariinsky water system with the Neva river basin, which led to the revival of merchant shipping. Large shipments of bread, salt, fish, oil and cotton, timber, metals, etc. were carried out along the Volga. Passenger traffic along the Volga was one of the most developed in Russia, especially before construction railways... In the 1st half - the middle of the 19th century, the labor of barge haulers was actively used. In 1820, the first steamship appeared on the Volga; from the middle of the 19th century, steamship traffic was widely developed. The largest shipping companies on the Volga were Along the Volga (founded in 1843), Airplane (1853), and Caucasus and Mercury (1858; founded in 1849 as Mercury). Large industrial centers became the cities of Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, and others located on the Volga. Civil War In 1917-22, the Volga had an important military-strategic importance, the Volga military flotilla (1918-19), the Astrakhan-Caspian military flotilla (1918-19), the Volga-Caspian military flotilla (1919-20) of the RKKF were based and operated here. Since the 1930s, the construction of hydroelectric power plants began on the Volga (the first, Ivankovskaya, was built by 1937). One of the key battles of the Great Patriotic War - Stalingrad battle 1942-43.

Lit .: Zaitseva I.S. Low-water years in the Volga basin: natural and anthropogenic factors. M., 1990; Water of Russia. Yekaterinburg, 2000. [T. 3]: River basins; Anthropogenic Impacts on Water Resources in Russia and Neighboring States at the End of the 20th Century. M., 2003; Natural resource, environmental and socio-economic problems the environment in large river basins / Otv. editor V. M. Kotlyakov. M., 2005.

One of the largest waterways in the world is the Volga River. Which ocean basin does it belong to? It is the deepest river in Europe and has no flow. It flows into the Caspian Sea, and therefore belongs to its basin. This mighty river carries its waters through almost the entire European part of Russia. Many towns and villages are built on its banks. It has long been for people both a breadwinner and a transport artery.

Volga river

Which ocean basin this waterway belongs to is studied at school. But not everyone imagines that the Caspian Sea, into which it flows, is internal and has no runoff. And the Volga is the largest river in Europe. It begins on the Valdai Upland near the village of Volgoverkhovye. From a small stream it turns into a mighty deep river and flows into the Caspian Sea near the city of Astrakhan, forming a wide delta. At the Volga River, the source and mouth are located at a distance of more than three and a half thousand kilometers from each other, therefore it is conventionally divided into three parts, which differ slightly in hydrological and ecological conditions.

  1. The Upper Volga is a section from the source to the confluence of the Oka River. Here it flows through dense forests.
  2. From the Oka to the mouth of the Kama - the middle Volga. This site is located in the forest-steppe and steppe zones.
  3. The Lower Volga - from the Kama River to the confluence with the Caspian Sea. It flows through the steppe and semi-desert zones.

Volga river basin

About a third of the European territory of Russia is connected with this river. Its basin stretches from the Valdai and Central Russian Uplands to the Ural Mountains; it covers an area of ​​almost one and a half million square kilometers. This full-flowing mighty river feeds mainly on melt water. Several large rivers and many small rivers flow into it - only about 200. The most famous of them are the Kama and Oka. In addition, its tributaries are Sheksna, Vetluga, Sura, Mologa and others.

At the source, the Volga is split into several branches. The largest of them is Akhtuba, which is more than 500 kilometers long. But the Volga River carries its waters not only to the Caspian Sea. Which ocean basin this waterway belongs to, you can find out in any encyclopedia. But people connected it with other seas using canals: the Volga-Baltic and Volga-Don ones are known. And through the Severodvinsk system, it connects with the White Sea.

Every inhabitant of our country knows the Volga River. True, not everyone knows which ocean basin this symbol of Russia belongs to. There are some more interesting facts about this river that are not known to many people:


Economic value

The Volga River basin has long fed and provided people living on its banks. There are many game animals in the forests, and the waters are rich in fish - about 70 species are found in it. Huge areas around the river are occupied by crops, gardening and melon growing are also developed. In the Volga basin, there are large oil and gas deposits, deposits of potash and table salt. This waterway is also of great importance as a transport highway. The Volga has been used for navigation for a long time, huge caravans went along it - up to 500 ships. Now, in addition to this, several dams and hydroelectric power plants have been built on the river.

The first mentions of the Volga River date back to ancient times, when it was called as "Ra". In later times, already in Arabic sources, the river was called Atel (Ethel, Itil), which means “great river” or “river of rivers”. This is how the Byzantine Theophanes and subsequent chroniclers called her in the chronicles.
The current name "Volga" has several versions of its origin. The most likely version seems to be about the Baltic roots of the name. According to the Latvian valka, which means "overgrown river", the Volga got its name. This is how the river looks in its upper reaches, where the Balts lived in antiquity. According to another version, the name of the river comes from the word valkea (Finno-Ugric), which means “white” or from the Old Slavic “vologa” (moisture).

Hydrography

Since ancient times, the Volga has not lost its greatness at all. Today it is the largest river in Russia and ranks 16th in the world among the most long rivers... Before the construction of the cascade of reservoirs, the length of the river was 3690 km, today this figure has decreased to 3530 km. At the same time, navigable navigation is carried out on 3500 km. An important role in navigation is played by the channel named after. Moscow, which acts as a link between the capital and the great Russian river.
The Volga connects with the following seas:

  • with the Azov and Black Seas through the Volga-Don Canal;
  • with the Baltic Sea via the Volga-Baltic waterway;
  • with the White Sea along the White Sea-Baltic Canal and the Severodvinsk river system.

The Volga waters originate in the region of the Valdai Upland - in the spring of the Volgo-Verkhovye village, which is located in the Tver region. The height of the source above sea level is 228 meters. Further, the river carries its waters through the whole Central Russia to the Caspian Sea. The height of the fall of the river is not great, because the mouth of the river is only 28 meters below sea level. Thus, along its entire length, the river descends by 256 meters, and its slope is 0.07%. average speed the river flow is relatively low - from 2 to 6 km / h (less than 1 m / s).
The Volga is mainly fed by melt water, which accounts for 60% of the annual runoff. 30% of the runoff comes from groundwater (they support the river in winter) and only 10% brings rain (mainly in summer period). Along its entire length, 200 tributaries flow into the Volga. But already at the latitude of Saratov, the water basin of the river narrows, after which the Volga flows from Kamyshin to the Caspian without support from other tributaries.
From April to June, the Volga is characterized by high spring floods, which on average lasts 72 days. The maximum level of water rise in the river is observed in the first half of May, when it spills over the floodplain for 10 kilometers or more. And in the lower reaches - in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, the width of the flood in some places reaches 30 km.
Summer is characterized by a stable low-water low-water period, which lasts from mid-June to early October. The rains in October bring with them an autumn flood, after which a period of low-water winter low-water period sets in, when the Volga feeds only on groundwater.
It should also be noted that after the construction of a whole cascade of reservoirs and regulation of the flow, fluctuations in the water level became much less significant.
The Volga freezes in its upper and middle reaches, usually at the end of November. On the lower reaches, ice rises in early December.
Ice drift on the Volga in the upper reaches, as well as in the section from Astrakhan to Kamyshin, occurs in the first half of April. In the area near Astrakhan, the river usually opens up in mid-March.
Near Astrakhan, the river remains ice-free for almost 260 days a year, while in other areas this time is about 200 days. During the period open water the river is actively used for ship navigation.
The main part of the catchment area of ​​the river falls on forest zone, located from the very sources to Nizhny Novgorod. The middle part of the river flows through forest-steppe zone, and the lower part flows through the semi-desert.


Volga Map

Different Volga: Upper, Middle and Lower

According to the classification adopted today, the Volga in its course is divided into three parts:

  • The Upper Volga covers a section from the source to the confluence of the Oka (in the city of Nizhny Novgorod);
  • The Middle Volga stretches from the mouth of the Oka River to the confluence of the Kama;
  • The Lower Volga starts from the mouth of the Kama River and reaches the Caspian Sea itself.

As for the Lower Volga, some adjustments should be made. After the construction of the Zhigulevskaya HPP just above Samara and the construction of the Kuibyshev reservoir, the current border between the middle and lower sections of the river runs exactly at the level of the dam.

Upper Volga

In its upper course, the river made its way through the system of the Upper Volga lakes. Between Rybinsk and Tver, three reservoirs are of interest to fishermen: Rybinskoye (the famous "fish"), Ivankovskoye (the so-called "Moscow Sea") and the Uglichskoye reservoir. Even further downstream, bypassing Yaroslavl and up to Kostroma, the river bed passes through a narrow valley with high banks. Then, a little higher than Nizhny Novgorod, there is a dam of the Gorkovskaya hydroelectric power station, which forms the Gorky reservoir of the same name. The most significant contribution to the Upper Volga is made by such tributaries as: Unzha, Selizharovka, Mologa and Tvertsa.

Middle Volga

The Middle Volga begins behind Nizhny Novgorod. Here the width of the river more than doubles - the Volga becomes full-flowing, reaching a width of 600 m to 2+ km. An extended reservoir was formed near the city of Cheboksary after the construction of the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station of the same name. The reservoir area is 2,190 square km. The largest tributaries of the Middle Volga are the rivers: Oka, Sviyaga, Vetluga and Sura.

Lower Volga

The Lower Volga begins immediately after the confluence of the Kama River. Here the river, indeed, can be called mighty in all respects. The Lower Volga carries its deep streams along the Volga Upland. Near the city of Togliatti on the Volga, the largest reservoir was built - Kuibyshevskoye, where in 2011 there was a disaster with the notorious motor ship Bulgaria. The reservoir of the Volzhskaya hydroelectric power station named after Lenin is propped up. The Saratov hydroelectric power station was built even further downstream near the town of Balakovo. The tributaries of the Lower Volga are no longer so full of water, these are the rivers: Samara, Eruslan, Sok, Bolshoi Irgiz.

Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain

Below the Volzhsky, a left branch called Akhtuba is separated from the great Russian river. After the construction of the Volzhskaya hydroelectric power station, the beginning of Akhtuba was a 6 km canal extending from the main Volga. Today the length of Akhtuba is 537 km, the river carries its waters to the northeast parallel to the mother channel, then approaching it, then again moving away. Together with the Volga, Akhtuba forms the famous Volga-Akhtuba floodplain - a real fishing Eldorado. The floodplain area is penetrated by numerous channels, saturated with flooded lakes and is unusually rich in all kinds of fish. The width of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain is on average 10 to 30 km.
Through the territory of the Astrakhan region, the Volga makes a path of 550 km, carrying its waters along the Caspian lowland. At the 3038th kilometer of its path, the Volga River splits into 3 branches: Krivaya Bolda, Gorodskaya and Trusovsky. And on the section from 3039 to 3053 km along the Gorodskoy and Trusovsky branches there is a city - Astrakhan.
Below Astrakhan, the river turns to the southwest and splits into numerous branches that form a delta.

Volga delta

The Volga delta begins to form for the first time in the place where one of the branches, called Buzan, separates from the main channel. This place is located above Astrakhan. In general, the Volga delta has over 510 branches, small channels and eriks. The delta is located on a total area of ​​19 thousand square kilometers. In width, the distance between the western and eastern branches of the delta reaches 170 km. In the generally accepted classification, the Volga delta consists of three parts: upper, middle and lower. The zones of the upper and middle delta consist of small islands separated by channels (eriks) with a width of 7 to 18 meters. The lower part of the Volga delta consists of very branched channel channels, which turn into the so-called. Caspian rumblings, famous for their lotus fields.
Due to the decrease in the level of the Caspian Sea over the past 130 years, the area of ​​the Volga delta is also growing. During this time, it has increased more than 9 times.
Today the Volga delta is the largest in Europe, but it is famous primarily for its rich fish stocks.
Note that the flora and fauna of the delta is under protection - here is " Astrakhan reserve". Therefore, amateur fishing in these places is regulated and not allowed everywhere.

The economic role of the river in the life of the country

Since the 30s of the last century, electricity has been produced on the river with the help of hydroelectric power plants. Since then, 9 hydroelectric power plants with their own reservoirs have been erected on the Volga. On this moment the river basin is home to approximately 45% of industry and half of all Agriculture Russia. More than 20% of all fish is caught in the Volga basin for Food Industry RF.
The logging industry is developed in the Upper Volga basin, and grain crops are grown in the Middle and Lower Volga regions. Gardening and horticulture are also developed along the middle and lower reaches of the river.
The Volga-Ural region is rich in natural gas and oil deposits. There are deposits of potassium salts near the town of Solikamsk. Famous lake Baskunchak on the Lower Volga is famous not only for its curative mud, but also for the deposits of table salt.
Upstream ships carry oil products, coal, gravel materials, cement, metal, salt and food. Downstream timber, industrial raw materials, lumber and finished products are supplied.

Animal world

The fauna on the Volga is unusually rich for middle lane Russia. It is home to over 580 different types... A lot of migratory birds fly to the river delta every year. As for the fish stock, there are about 75 various fish, 40 of which are commercial. The Volga fish tribe is divided into the indigenous population (sedentary species), semi-anadromous and anadromous species. On our website you can read more about the fish species inhabiting the Volga River basin.

Tourism and fishing on the Volga

In the mid-90s of the last century, due to the economic decline in the country, water tourism on the Volga lost its popularity. The situation was normalized only at the beginning of this century. But the outdated material and technical base hinders the development of the tourism business. The Volga is still used by motor ships that were built back in Soviet times(60-90 years of the last century). There are quite a few water tourist routes along the Volga. From Moscow alone, motor ships go on more than 20 different routes.

As for amateur fishing on the Volga, popular places are the Rybinsk and Cheboksary reservoirs, the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain and, of course, the delta. On the Volga, pike perch, pike, asp, perch, catfish, carp, bream and many other types of fish are caught. On our website, we examined in detail what kind of catch can bring:

In general, fishing on the Volga captivates both professionals and amateurs.

Adaykom-Don river, 78 km by lev. river bank Ardon (Ardon)

Adyl-Su river, 155 km along the avenue. Baksan (Baksan without the Cherek river)

Adyr-Su river, 142 km along the avenue. Baksan (Baksan without the Cherek river)

Aygamuga river (Dargon-Kom, Sanguti-Don), 68 km along the avenue of the river bank Urukh (Terek from the confluence of the Urukh river to the confluence of the Malka river)

Lake Aydamir-Chel, in the basin of the river. Malka, 1.5 km to the northwest from the Kara-Kaya mountain (Malka from the source to the Kura-Maryinsky canal)

Alenovka river, 7 km along the avenue

river bank Tyzyl (464) (Baksan without river Cherek)

Alikazgan River, Astrakhan Gulf of the Caspian Sea (Delta of the Terek River)

Lake Am, in the basin of the river. Kurp, 6 km to E from the village. Lower Kurp (Terek from the confluence of the Malka River to the city of Mozdok)

Andaki river (Andakis-Tskali), 124 km along the avenue of the river. Argun (Sunzha from Grozny to the confluence of the Argun river)

Lake Andigirey, in the basin of the river. Hulhulau, 8 km southeast of the village. Khorochi (Sunzha from the confluence of the Argun river to the mouth)

Argayuko river, 78 km along the avenue. Baksan (Baksan without R.

Argubli river (Argudan), 434 km by lev. river bank Terek (Terek from the confluence of the Urukh river to the confluence of the Malka river)

Argun river (Chanty-Argun, Argun), 39 km along the avenue. Sunzha (Sunzha from Grozny to the confluence of the Argun river)

Ardon river (Kizilka, Mamikh-Don, Zemegon-Don), 487 km on lev. river bank Terek (Ardon)

Arzhi-Akhk river, 0.7 km by lev. river bank Elistanzhi (Sunzha from the confluence of the r.

Argun to the mouth)

Lake Arkakseken, in the floodplains of the river. Kordonka, 1.5 km southwest of the lake. Salty (Delta of the Terek River)

Armkhi river (Kistinka), 551 km along the avenue. Terek (Terek from the border of the Russian Federation with Georgia to the confluence of the Ursdon River without the Ardon River)

Lake Arnautskoe, in the basin of the river. Terek, 8 km to the NE from the station Chervlennaya (Terek from the city of Mozdok to the confluence of the Sunzha River)

Arf-Aryk river, 9.3 km on lev. river bank Dur-Dur (Terek from the confluence of the Ursdon river to the confluence of the Ursdon river.

Arkhon-Don river, 53 km along the avenue. Ardon (Ardon)

Archkhi river (Belaya, Banhi), 83 km by lev. river bank Kambileevka (Terek from the border of the Russian Federation with Georgia to the confluence of the Ursdon River without the Ardon River)

river Asabch-Don (Abeg-Don), 10 km by lev. river bank Kambileevka (Terek from the border of the Russian Federation with Georgia to the confluence of the Ursdon river without the

Assa river (Tsirtslovn-Tskhali), 137 km along the avenue. Sunzha (Sunzha from the source to Grozny)

watercourse Astau-Don, channel of the r.

Belaya, 21 km along the river bank Dur-Dur (Terek from the confluence of the Ursdon river to the confluence of the Urukh river)

Akhki-Chu-Shamilya (Shaudan) river, 39 km by lev. river bank Khulkhulau (Sunzha from the confluence of the Argun river to the mouth)

Akhko-Uini-Tsy river, 18 km by lev. river bank Belka (Sunzha from the confluence of the Argun river to the mouth)

Achaluk river, 108 km along the avenue of the river bank Alkhanchurtovsky Canal (Terek from the border of the Russian Federation with Georgia to the confluence of the Ursdon River without the Ardon River)

Lake Achibay, in the floodplains of the r. Terek, 2 km from the lake. Kutlukay (Delta r.

river Achkhu (Achkhoy), 17 km along the avenue of the bank of the river. Assa (Sunzha from the source to Grozny)

Lake Ashim, in the floodplains of the river. Kordonka, 2 km south of the lake. Big Ochikol (Delta of the Terek River)

Bad river, 58 km along the avenue. Ardon (Ardon)

Lake Baybus, in the floodplains of the river. Kordonka, 6.4 km south of the village. New Terek (Delta of the Terek river)

Lake Bakil-Aul, in the floodplains of the r.

Kordonka, at the southern shore of the lake. Dzhijutskoe (Delta of the Terek River)

Baksan river (Azau), 26 km along the avenue. Malka (Baksan without the Cherek River)

watercourse Baksanenok, channel of the r. Baksan, 57 km by lev. river bank Baksan (Baksan without the Cherek river)

Basta-Khi river (Basta-Khi, Om-Chu gorge), 113 km by lev. river bank Argun (Sunzha from Grozny to the confluence of the river.

Lake Batrakay, in the floodplains of the river. Kordonka, 2.5 km southwest of the lake. Ochikol (Delta of the Terek River)

Bakh-Dzhaga (Dzhaga) river, 9.5 km along the avenue. Akhko (Sunzha from the confluence of the Argun river to the mouth)

Lake Bakhmutskoe, in the floodplains of the river. Terek, 2.5 km to E from h. Bolshoi Bredikhinsky (Delta of the Terek River)

river Bash-Kol, constituting the r.

Tyzyl, 35 km along the avenue. Tyzyl (Baksan without the Cherek River)

unnamed river 3.5 km to the north from the village. Ardon, 15 km by lev. river bank Ardon (Ardon)

watercourse without name. hands. R. Terek, 1 km to the south from the station. Darg-Kokh, 508 km along the avenue. Terek (Terek from the border of the Russian Federation with Georgia to the confluence of the Ursdon River without the Ardon River)

watercourse without name.

from the environs with. Nart, a channel of the r. Fiag-Don, 24 km by lev. river bank Kubanka (Ardon)

unnamed river, 2.5 km to the southwest from the Cherekh-Kort mountain, 109 km along the ave. Assa (Sunzha from the source to Grozny)

unnamed watercourse, near the village Green Grove, a channel of the r. Netkhoi, 10 km along the avenue of the river bank. Achkhu (Sunzha from source to g.

unnamed watercourse, near the village Lermontovo, river channel Valerik, 12 km along the river bank Sunzha (Sunzha from source to g.

watercourse without name, at x. Pervomaisky channel of the r. Baksanenok, 52 km along the avenue. Baksanenok (Baksan without the Cherek river)

lake without a name, r. Sulla-Chubutla, near the village. Aul-Chubutla (Delta of the Terek River)

Kordonka, 5 km southwest of the lake. Yalga (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r.

Terek, 7 km to the north from the h. Bolshoi Bredikhinsky (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Terek, 1 km to the north from the lake. Kazgulakh (Delta of the Terek River)

Terek, near the village. Utsmi-Yurt (Terek from the confluence of the Sunzha river to the Kargalinsky g / y)

lake without a name, in the floodplain of the river. Terek, near the village of Shelkozavodskaya (Terek from the confluence of the Sunzha River to the Kargalinsky g / y)

untitled river, 33 km r. Terek, the river is separated. Terek, to the southeast from the Alexander station (Delta of the Terek river)

Terek, near the station Shelkovskaya (Terek from the confluence of the Sunzha river to the Kargalinsky g / y)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river.

Chadyri, 2 km southeast of Mount Baum-Kort (Sunzha from Grozny to the confluence of the Argun River)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Kohichu-Akh, near Mount Gairabilya-Kort (Sunzha from the confluence of the Argun river to the mouth)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Terek, near the village. Mangul (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, r.

Talovka, 7.5 km to the northwest from the village. Bolshaya Areshevka (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Kordonka, 1 km to the southeast from the lake. Arkakseken (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Mulkan-Eka, 0.8 km south of the village. Gukhoy (Sunzha from Grozny to the confluence of the Argun river)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Terek, near the northern shore of the lake. Achibay (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Kordonka, 1 km to the southeast from the Mad Lakes (Delta r.

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Kordonka, 0.5 km south of the lake. Mill (Delta of the Terek River)

river without a name, 35 km separated from the river. Terek to the West from the Alexandriiskaya station (Delta of the Terek river)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Terek, 1 km to E from the Bay of Horse Kultuk (Delta of the Terek river)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Kohichu-Akh, 3.5 km to the northwest from the lane.

Kharma (Sunzha from the confluence of the Argun river to the mouth)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Khocharoi-Akhk, 3 km southwest of Charkhunysh-Kort Mountain (Sunzha from Grozny to the confluence of the Argun River)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Malka, h. Sarsky (Malka from the Kura-Maryinsky canal to the mouth without the Baksan river)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Malka, 6 km to the west from the village. Kyzburun 2nd (Malka from the Kura-Maryinsky canal to the mouth without the river.

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Khasaut, in the area of ​​Mount Bolshoy Bermamyt (Malka from the source to the Kura-Maryinsky canal)

lake without a name, in the floodplain of the river. Terek, near the village of Ishcherskaya (Terek from Mozdok to the confluence of the Sunzha River)

lake without a name, in the floodplain of the river. Terek, near the village.

Ali-Yurt (Terek from Mozdok to the confluence of the Sunzha River)

lake without a name, in the floodplain of the river. Terek, 3 km to E from the station Terskaya (Malka from the Kura-Maryinsky canal to the mouth without a river.

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Sunzha, 2 km southwest of Mount Razrytaya (Sunzha from its source to Grozny)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Malka, 5 km to the north from Prokhladny town (Malka from the Kura-Maryinsky canal to the mouth without the Baksan river)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Goyt, at x. Komsomolsky (Sunzha from the source to Grozny)

lake without a name, 2 km to the north from the village.

Khasaut (Malka from the source to the Kura-Maryinsky canal)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Cherek Khulamsky, near the Ullu-Chiran glacier (Bezengi (Cherek)

lake without a name, in the floodplain of the river. Terek, near st-tsy Galyugaevskaya (Terek from the city of Mozdok to the confluence of the river Sunzha)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Shalushka, 5 km southeast of the village. Nizhniy Chegem (Cherek)

lake without a name, in the floodplain of the river. Terek, 1 km to the west from the Galyugaevskaya station (Terek from the city of Mozdok to the confluence of the Sunzha river)

lake without a name, in the floodplain of the river.

Terek, near the station Nikolaevskaya (Terek from the city of Mozdok to the confluence of the river Sunzha)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Terek, near the lake.

Bakhmutskoe (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the floodplain of the river. Terek, 3 km to the northwest from the Staro-Gladkovskaya station (Terek from the confluence of the Sunzha river to the Kargalinsky hydro-gas station)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Kordonka, to the southwest of the lake.

Big Ochikol (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the floodplain of the river. Terek, h. Novo-Voskresensky (Terek from the confluence of the Sunzha River to the Kargalinsky g / y)

lake without a name, r.

Talovka, near the village. Maxim Gorky (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Kordonka, near the lake. Arkakseken (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Khocharoi-Akhk, 1 km to the southeast from the village. Avtinbowl (Sunzha from Grozny to the confluence of the Argun river)

lake without a name, r.

Prorva, 2 km southwest of the village. Black Market (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Kordonka, near the village. Novo-Biryuzyak (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Kordonka, 10 km to E from the lake. Kutanaulsky (Delta of the Terek river)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river.

Argun, 0.8 km southwest of the village. Bassakhoi (Sunzha from Grozny to the confluence of the Argun river)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r. Kordonka, 2 km south of the tract. Pyatikhatka (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the floodplains of the r.

Terek, 0.5 km to the north from the lake. Kutlukay (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, r. Sulla-Chubutla, 6.3 km southwest of the village. Sari-Su (Delta of the Terek River)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Terek, 8 km to the NE from the station Chervlennaya (Terek from the city of Mozdok to the confluence of the Sunzha River)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Terek, near the village. Vinogradovka (Terek from g.

Mozdok before the confluence of the Sunzha River)

lake without a name, in the basin of the river. Kich-Malka, 3 km to the northwest from Mount Alabastrovaya (Malka from the source to the Kura-Maryinsky canal)

1 23 … 6

Oka river- one of the largest tributaries of the Volga. The slope of the river. 0.1 meter per kilometer. The length of the river is 1498 kilometers.

Downstream of the Oka

The river originates in the village of Aleksandrovka Oryol region and then flows along the Central Russian Upland. Crosses the Tula, Oryol, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod regions.

V Nizhny Novgorod region not far from Nizhny Novgorod, it flows into the Volga.

Oryol Region

The length of the river in this area is 211 kilometers.

In this area, high limestone cliffs are often found along the banks, but most of the valley is symmetrical. Before the confluence of the Kroma River, the width of the Oka is from two to six meters. Near the village of Rogovka, the river widens up to 20 meters. To the village of Dadurovo Oka expands to 60-70 meters, but the river is still very shallow. In Oryol, the width is already 80 meters, the depths are increasing.

The largest tributaries of the Oka in the Oryol region are Rybnitsa, Nepolod, Kroma, Zusha, Nugr, Tson, Orlik, Optukha.

Tula region

In this area, the river flows along the western and northern borders. The length is 220 kilometers, the maximum width of the river is 200 meters, the average is 120 meters.

The depth ranges from 1 to 5 meters, mostly two to three meters. The average current speed is 0.2-0.4 meters per second.

Kaluga region

The length is 180 kilometers. In this area, the Oka is a typical flat river in the European part of Russia. Here the river forms many oxbows, branches, backwaters, floodplain lakes.

Here the Oka abounds in rifts, They meet every 5-6 kilometers. The bottom is predominantly sandy and clay. The largest tributaries are Ugra, Zhizdra, Protva.

Moscow region

The length on the territory of the Moscow region is 176 kilometers.

The shores are sandy and clay, overgrown with pine forest. The width of the river is up to 200 meters, mainly 120-130. The maximum depth is 12 meters.

In the village of Beloomut there is a dam, after which the speed of the current increases.
The largest tributaries of the Oka in the Moscow region are Besputa, Sturgeon, Tsna, Rechma, Lopasnya, Kashirka,

Ryazan Oblast

The length within this region is 489 kilometers, the average width of the river is 150 meters, and the maximum width is 400 meters.

Main tributaries

Species composition of fish

Almost all fish characteristic of the Volga basin are found in the Oka River.

The most common fish species are bream, silver bream, roach, rudd, ruff, chub, asp, ide, dace, bleak, pike perch, perch. In smaller quantities, blue bream, eyes, podust, carp, gudgeon, sabrefish are found in the river. Even sterlet is found in the Oka, but it is very small. The most common fish in the Oka are bream, roach and silver bream.

Fishing on the Oka

Along its length, the Oka forms many river branches, bays, floodplain lakes and oxbow lakes, which are excellent for fishing.

A large body of water has a beneficial effect on the size of fish and their number. Every spring, fish from the Oka begin to climb into numerous tributaries for spawning, at which time fishing on small rivers will be very successful. The summer fishing season opens in late April - early May. Hard ice usually rises in mid-January. However, in some areas the Oka does not freeze at all, for example, you can catch a round year near Beloomut.


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The Volga River belongs to which ocean basin? Description and photo of the Volga river

One of the largest waterways in the world is the Volga River. Which ocean basin does it belong to? It is the deepest river in Europe and has no flow.

It flows into the Caspian Sea, and therefore belongs to its basin. This mighty river carries its waters through almost the entire European part of Russia. Many towns and villages are built on its banks. It has long been for people both a breadwinner and a transport artery.

Volga river

Which ocean basin this waterway belongs to is studied at school. But not everyone imagines that the Caspian Sea, into which it flows, is internal and has no runoff.

And the Volga is the largest river in Europe. It begins on the Valdai Upland near the village of Volgoverkhovye.
From a small stream it turns into a mighty deep river and flows into the Caspian Sea near the city of Astrakhan, forming a wide delta.

At the Volga River, the source and mouth are located at a distance of more than three and a half thousand kilometers from each other, therefore it is conventionally divided into three parts, which differ slightly in hydrological and ecological conditions.

  1. The Upper Volga is a section from the source to the confluence of the Oka River.

    Here it flows through dense forests.

  2. From the Oka to the mouth of the Kama - the middle Volga. This site is located in the forest-steppe and steppe zones.
  3. Lower Volga - from the Kama River to the confluence with the Caspian Sea. It flows through the steppe and semi-desert zones.

Volga river basin

About a third of the European territory of Russia is connected with this river. Its basin stretches from the Valdai and Central Russian Uplands to the Ural Mountains; it covers an area of ​​almost one and a half million square kilometers.

This full-flowing mighty river feeds mainly on melt water. Several large rivers and many small rivers flow into it - only about 200. The most famous of them are the Kama and Oka. In addition, its tributaries are Sheksna, Vetluga, Sura, Mologa and others.

At the source, the Volga is split into several branches. The largest of them is Akhtuba, which is more than 500 kilometers long. But the Volga River carries its waters not only to the Caspian Sea. Which ocean basin this waterway belongs to, you can find out in any encyclopedia.

But people connected it with other seas using canals: the Volga-Baltic and Volga-Don ones are known. And through the Severodvinsk system, it connects with the White Sea.

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Every inhabitant of our country knows the Volga River.

True, not everyone knows which ocean basin this symbol of Russia belongs to. There are some more interesting facts about this river that are not known to many people:


Economic value

The Volga River basin has long fed and provided people living on its banks.

There are many game animals in the forests, and the waters are rich in fish - about 70 species are found in it. Huge areas around the river are occupied by crops, gardening and melon growing are also developed.

In the Volga basin, there are large oil and gas deposits, deposits of potash and table salt. This waterway is also of great importance as a transport highway. The Volga has been used for navigation for a long time, huge caravans - up to 500 ships went along it.

Now, in addition to this, several dams and hydroelectric power plants have been built on the river.