Euphrates
The Euphrates (/juːˈfreɪtiːz/ ⓘ yoo-FRAY-teez; see below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (lit. 'the land between the rivers'). Originating in Turkey, the Euphrates flows through Syria and Iraq to join the Tigris in the Shatt al-Arab, which empties into the Persian Gulf.
| Euphrates | |
|---|---|
The Euphrates in the town of Birecik, Turkey. | |
Map of the combined Tigris–Euphrates drainage basin (in yellow) | |
| Etymology | from Akkadian Purattu, from Sumerian Burannu |
| Location | |
| Country | Turkey, Iraq, Syria |
| Basin area | Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran |
| Source region | Taurus Mountains |
| Cities | Birecik, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, Mayadin, Haditha, Ramadi, Habbaniyah, Fallujah, Kufa, Samawah, Nasiriyah |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Murat River |
| • location | Çat, Turkey |
| • coordinates | 39°43′44″N 41°13′23″E |
| • elevation | 3,520 m (11,550 ft) |
| 2nd source | Karasu |
| • location | Yakutiye, Turkey |
| • coordinates | 40°11′24″N 41°30′25″E |
| • elevation | 3,290 m (10,790 ft) |
| Source confluence | |
| • location | Keban, Turkey |
| • coordinates | 39°43′44″N 40°15′25″E |
| • elevation | 610 m (2,000 ft) |
| Mouth | Shatt al-Arab |
• location | Al-Qurnah, Iraq |
• coordinates | 31°0′18″N 47°26′31″E |
• elevation | 1 m (3.3 ft) |
| Length | Approx. 2,800 km (1,700 mi) |
| Basin size | Approx. 500,000 km2 (190,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Hīt |
| • average | 356 m3/s (12,600 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 58 m3/s (2,000 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 2,514 m3/s (88,800 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Shatt al-Arab → Persian Gulf |
| River system | Tigris–Euphrates river system |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Balikh, Khabur |
| • right | Sajur |
The Euphrates is the fifteenth-longest river in Asia and the longest in Western Asia, at about 2,780 km (1,730 mi), with a drainage area of 440,000 km2 (170,000 sq mi) that covers six countries.
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