What is the longest river in Europe?
The Volga River in Russia is the longest river in Europe, at about 3,530 kilometers. It flows from northwest of Moscow to the Caspian Sea.
The Volga drains a huge part of western Russia, and about 40 percent of Russia's population lives in its basin. Major cities along it include Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara and Volgograd. It is connected by canals to the Baltic Sea, the White Sea, the Black Sea and Moscow, making it an important shipping route.
Russians often call the Volga Mother Volga, and it features in many songs, poems and paintings. A series of dams and reservoirs along it produces hydroelectric power. The river empties into the Caspian Sea through a large delta rich in wildlife.
The Danube
The Danube is Europe's second-longest river, at about 2,850 kilometers. It flows through or along the borders of 10 countries, more than any other river in the world, passing capitals such as Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade before reaching the Black Sea.
Did You Know?
The Volga's delta in the Caspian Sea is one of the largest river deltas in Europe and an important area for birds and fish, including sturgeon.