Danubes

Danubes is a term used in some contexts to refer to the Danube river system, including the Danube proper, its tributaries, and the Danube Delta. The Danube is Europe’s second-longest river, rising in the Black Forest of Germany at the confluence of the Brigach and Breg and flowing southeast to the Black Sea. The Danube Basin covers roughly 817,000 square kilometers and spans 19 countries, making it one of Europe’s most extensive international river basins.

Throughout its course the Danube passes through ten states: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, with several stretches forming national borders. Major tributaries include the Inn, Drava, Sava, and Tisza, among others. The river’s lower reaches form the Danube Delta, a vast wetland complex at the mouth where the river enters the Black Sea.

The Danube Delta, located mainly in Romania with a Romanian-Ukrainian component, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s largest and most biodiverse inland deltas. It hosts extensive reed beds, wetlands, and a rich assemblage of birds, fish, and other wildlife, making it an important conservation area and a destination for ecotourism.

Economically, the Danube serves as a major inland waterway for commerce and transport, linking Central and Eastern Europe with the Black Sea. It also supports hydroelectric power, irrigation, and tourism. Governance of the Danube involves riparian states and international bodies such as the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) and the Danube Commission, which coordinate environmental policy and navigation, respectively.