Morava

Morava is a Slavic toponym and hydronym used for several rivers in Central Europe. The most prominent Morava is a river that flows through parts of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Serbia and is a right-bank tributary of the Danube. It rises in the Carpathian foothills and runs southeast across the Moravian region, shaping landscapes and supporting agriculture in the surrounding countryside. The Morava basin includes protected areas such as the Lower Morava Biosphere Reserve, recognized for its floodplain forests, wetlands, and birdlife.

In Serbia, the Morava name designates two major rivers, Velika Morava (Great Morava) and Južna Morava (South Morava), which contribute to the Danube watershed. They flow through central and southern Serbia and together form a significant Morava valley that has long served as a corridor for trade, transport, and settlement. The two rivers join the Danube north of central Serbia’s eastern reaches, reinforcing the Danube basin’s hydrological network.

The name Morava also appears in numerous toponyms across Slavic lands and plays an important role in regional history. In the medieval era, the Morava basin was associated with the state of Great Moravia, an early Slavic polity centered in the region and sharing cultural ties with neighboring lands.

Etymology and usage vary by language; Morava is widely used in Czech, Slovak, Serbian, and other South Slavic toponyms. See also Moravia, the historical region in present-day Czechia.