Vistula
The Vistula (/ˈvɪstjʊlə/; Polish: Wisła, Polish pronunciation: [ˈviswa] ⓘ, German: Weichsel) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at 1,047 kilometres (651 miles) in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers 193,960 km2 (74,890 sq mi), of which 168,868 km2 (65,200 sq mi) is in Poland.
| Vistula | |
|---|---|
Vistula River drainage basin in Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, and Slovakia | |
| Native name | Wisła (Polish) |
| Location | |
| Country | Poland |
| Towns/Cities | Kraków, Sandomierz, Warsaw, Płock, Włocławek, Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Tczew, Gdańsk |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Barania Góra, Silesian Beskids |
| • coordinates | 49°36′21″N 19°00′13″E |
| • elevation | 1,106 m (3,629 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Mikoszewo, Gdańsk Bay, Baltic Sea, Przekop channel near Świbno, Poland |
• coordinates | 54°21′42″N 18°57′07″E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 1,047 km (651 mi) |
| Basin size | 193,960 km2 (74,890 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Gdańsk Bay, Baltic Sea, Mikoszewo |
| • average | 1,080 m3/s (38,000 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Nida, Pilica, Bzura, Brda, Wda |
| • right | Dunajec, Wisłoka, San, Wieprz, Narew, Drwęca |
The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in the south of Poland, 1,220 meters (4,000 ft) above sea level in the Silesian Beskids (western part of Carpathian Mountains), where it begins with the White Little Vistula (Biała Wisełka) and the Black Little Vistula (Czarna Wisełka). It flows through Poland's largest cities, including Kraków, Sandomierz, Warsaw, Płock, Włocławek, Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Świecie, Grudziądz, Tczew and Gdańsk. It empties into the Vistula Lagoon (Zalew Wiślany) or directly into the Gdańsk Bay of the Baltic Sea with a delta of six main branches (Leniwka, Przekop, Śmiała Wisła, Martwa Wisła, Nogat and Szkarpawa).
The river has many associations with Polish culture, history and national identity. It is Poland's most important waterway and natural symbol, and the phrase "Country upon Vistula" (Polish: kraj nad Wisłą) can be synonymous with Poland.