Half of European cities were built on rivers, which is not surprising, because rivers have always had important transport and economic importance for the development of cities. In the end, people just love to relax on the banks of rivers, enjoying the scenery and clean water, and many, fishing in it. The size of the rivers on which cities stand can vary greatly, and this does not mean that the largest cities should be on the largest rivers. What is the longest river in Europe will be discussed below.

1. Volga (3531 km)

It is the great Russian river that is the longest water artery in Europe. It must be admitted that in terms of length the European record holder is far behind the longest rivers in the world, such as the Amazon, Nile, Yangtze, but in a fairly compact Europe this is already a good result. The Volga, like many other Eastern European rivers (Dnieper, Western Dvina, etc.) begins on the Valdai Upland, then flows along the Central Russian Upland to the southeast, at the foothills of the Urals it turns south and flows into the internal Caspian Sea. The source of the Volga is located at an altitude of 228 meters above sea level, but its delta goes 28 meters below this level. Usually the Volga flow is divided into three sections: the upper, middle and lower Volga. In its basin, which occupies 8% of the territory of Russia, there are over 150 thousand large and small rivers.

2. Danube (2860 km)

This is the longest river Western Europe. It begins in Germany, and then flows through the territories of 10 countries until it flows into the Black Sea. Over such a long journey, the landscapes of the Danube banks change greatly: high mountains, glaciers, mountain plateaus, karst plateaus, forested plains and fields. The Danube water has a yellowish-brown tint due to the abundance of suspended particles of silt carried away from the banks, so the “blue” Danube, praised by Johann Strauss, is also considered the muddiest European river. For Western Europe, the Danube is not only the longest, but also the deepest river.

3. Ural (2428 km)

The sources of the Ural River are located in Bashkiria, at the top of the Kruglaya Sopka mountain. Almost its entire path, the Urals flows through the territory of Russia, capturing a small piece of Kazakhstan, after which, like the Volga, it flows into the Caspian Sea. Along the upper part of the Ural channel runs the conventional border of dividing the Eurasian continent into 2 continents - Europe and Asia. The cities of Orenburg and Magnitogorsk were built on the Ural River. From a shipping point of view, the Urals do not have much of great importance- There are few river boats here. But there is active fishing here, since there is a lot of it in the Urals - catfish, stellate sturgeon, pike perch, sturgeon. The Ural basin covers an area of ​​231,000 square meters. km.

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4. Dnieper (2201 km)

The Dnieper River flows through the territories of Russia, Belarus and then Ukraine, and for the latter it is the longest river. The Dnieper begins very close to the Volga - on the Valdai Hills, but at the end of the road it flows into the Black Sea. On the banks of the Dnieper there are such large cities as Kyiv and Dnepropetrovsk. The Dnieper, like a typically flat river, has a calm, slow flow, and everyone has long forgotten about the Dnieper rapids, which became the bottom of reservoirs. The Dnieper is home to over 70 species of fish, including sturgeon, carp, ram and herring. Also, many types of algae grow in the Dnieper water: the most common are green, but there are also golden, diatoms, and cryptophytes.

5. Don (1870 km)

The sources of the Don are located on the Central Russian Upland, and it flows into the Sea of ​​Azov. There is a misconception that the source of the Don is located in the Shatsky reservoir, but in fact its beginning is the Urvanka stream, which flows in Novomoskovsk, Tula region (tap water flows at the site of the formal source). The Don is a navigable river, and its basin covers 422,000 square meters. km. River boats rise from the mouth of the Don to the city of Liski. Many cities were built on this ancient Russian river, including such large ones as Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Azov. Unfortunately, the Don was heavily polluted, which led to a reduction in its fish stocks. But even now it is home to almost 70 species of fish. The most common fish caught here are roach, bream, rudd, pike and perch.

6. Pechora (1809 km)

This northern river flows through the territory of Komi and Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and then flows into the Barents Sea. The sources of Pechora are located in the Northern Urals. Naryan-Mar stands on its banks. Pechora is navigable, but only to Troitsko-Pechorsk. Whitefish, salmon and vendace are actively caught here. The Pechora basin, occupying 322,000 square meters. km, is rich in mineral deposits: coal, gas and oil.

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7. Kama (1805 km)

This is the longest river in Europe, which is a tributary and the largest river of the Western Urals. The sources of the Kama are located on the Verkhnekamsk Upland, near the village of Karpushata. In the area of ​​the Kuibyshev Reservoir, the Kama flows into the Volga, the longest European river. The area of ​​the Kama basin is 507,000 square meters. km, where there are almost 75 thousand rivers and streams. True, the vast majority of them are only about ten kilometers long. It is interesting that the Kama is much older than the Volga; before the last glaciation, it itself flowed into the Caspian Sea, while the Volga merged with the Don. After the passage of the glacier, which greatly changed the terrain, much changed - the Kama became the largest tributary of the Volga.

8. Oka (1498 km)

The largest right tributary of the Volga is the Oka River, which has a basin with an area of ​​245,000 square meters. km. It begins as an ordinary spring near the village of Aleksandrovka in Oryol region. Many ancient Russian cities were built on the Oka: Ryazan, Kaluga, Murom, Nizhny Novgorod, so it, like the Volga, is closely connected with the history of Russia. Divyagorsk was also built there - one of the most ancient cities of Rus', which is now almost completely washed away by the fast waters of the river. Due to the gradual shallowing of the Oka, navigation on it is unstable, which was suspended more than once (2007, 2014, 2015). For the same reason, the number of fish in the Oka is gradually decreasing.

9. Dniester (1352 km)

The Dniester River begins in the Lviv region, in the village of Volche, and at the end of its journey to the south it flows into the Black Sea, during which time it crosses the territories of Ukraine and Moldova. In many places, the border between these countries runs along the Dniester riverbed. Tiraspol, Rybnitsa, and Bendery were built on the Dniester. The area of ​​the Dniester basin is approximately 72,100 square meters. km. With the collapse of the USSR, navigation on this river decreased, and recently it has almost completely disappeared, so at present only excursion ships and small vessels can occasionally be found there.

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10. Vyatka (1314 km)

The Vyatka River begins, like the Kama, on the Verkhnekamsk Upland in Udmurtia. But at the end of its journey it still flows into this largest tributary of the Volga. The area of ​​the Vyatka basin is 129,000 square meters. km. This meandering river has a typically flat character. People use it not only for shipping, but also for timber rafting. River routes end in Kirov, having a length of approximately 700 kilometers from the mouth. There are a lot of fish in Vyatka, local residents They catch perch, pike, pike perch, roach and other species in it. Cities such as Kirov, Orlov, and Sosnovka were built on its banks.

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Rivers in Europe were considered borders, trade and transport routes, and sources of livelihood. Many are noted in famous songs, as well as in folk art and played a very important role not only in commerce and economics, but also in world history. The largest rivers are scattered throughout Europe, but the largest is in the European part of Russia.

The largest

Danube

The deep-water Danube flows through the territories of Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. This river probably influenced the rapid development many European countries. At 1,780 miles in length, the Danube is considered the longest river in Western Europe. Many travel companies are now actively offering river tours along the Danube - this is the most convenient way to visit several countries along the coast of this important European waterway.

Elbe

Famous river of Europe– The Elbe is located on the border and divides East and West Germany. Nowadays, the Elbe also flows through Czech Republic and Germany. The Elbe has long been considered a major destination for international trade, linking major European cities including Berlin, Prague and Dresden. Barges still carry cargo down the Elbe, and the many dams along the river help with flood control.

Dnieper River

The Dnieper is a deep river that flows through the territory of modern Ukraine, Belarus and Russian Federation. Since ancient times, the Dnieper River served as the main trade route, which was called “the Greeks Izvariag,” connecting the south and north of the continent in this region. The river is 1,333 miles long and is considered a unifying link for numerous Slavic states for several centuries.

Today, the Dnieper River offers an incredibly interesting journey through the most historical places of Ukraine and Belarus. In Ukraine, the Dnieper River is the largest. It is important to remember that the Dnieper originates from a small lake. By the way, the classification of lakes by origin is carried out by separate bodies and confirmed by world experts.

Rhine

The Deep Rhine is one of the largest rivers of Europe, originates in the Swiss Alps, and flows 776 miles into the North Sea in Holland. Along the way, the Rhine passes through Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, France and Germany. The Rhine is considered one of the main waterways not only for trade, but also for exciting tourism, with quite a large number organizations that offer river cruises on the Rhine River.

After quite severe pollution in the last century, the Rhine River has been completely restored. Now it is considered the main source of crystal clear and drinking water. The most important thing is that the most beautiful views open here. In general, the Rhine, like the Dnieper, originates from the lake, and the official classification of lakes by origin was carried out back in 1956.

Volga

The Volga River is entirely within the Russian Federation - its total length is 3,692 miles. Today it is the largest river in Europe. Forty percent of all Russia lives on the Volga and its tributaries. This river irrigates many farms, supplies fish, and is also considered the main trade artery of the Russian Federation. A cruise on the Volga River will take tourists from Moscow and directly to the north-west of the Russian Federation.

It was just brief overview largest rivers of Europe. These rivers are home to many unique plants and animals that are distinguished by great species diversity. I will talk about this in more detail in my new articles.

Foreign Europe occupies a prominent place in global cargo and passenger turnover. Its regional transport system is a complex interweaving of almost all types of transport routes. To her characteristic features It is generally accepted to include: the complexity of the configuration, very high network density, a large share of intermodal transport, and the widespread development of transit communications. Until the early 1990s, when integration processes in the western and eastern parts of Europe proceeded largely in isolation from each other, the development of transport also led to the formation of two almost independent concentrations - the western (capitalist) and the eastern (socialist), although, of course, , interconnected. But then, when the ideas of the “European home” prevailed, objects began to develop pan-European transport infrastructure.

It is precisely such objects - highways and railways, navigable rivers and canals, pipelines, seaports and international airports - that now form the backbone of the pan-European transport infrastructure, determining its configuration. It is to them that the attention has been drawn not only from individual countries, but also from international general economic and transport organizations, especially within the framework of the UN and the European Union. As a result, many large-scale projects have been developed and partially started to be implemented in this important area of ​​the economy.

Integration processes had a great influence on the development of railway transport in Europe. Until the early 1990s. they affected mainly Western Europe, where international express trains began to operate in many directions (Fig. 37).

Figure 37 schematically shows the travel directions of 20 such express trains. Let's also add that each of them has its own name: express number 2 Amsterdam - Munich is called "Rembrandt", express number 5 Frankfurt - Paris - "Goethe", express number 8 Hamburg - Milan - "Roland", express number 14 Amsterdam - Paris – “Brabant”, express number 20 Basel – Milan – “Gotthard”. To this scheme we need to add several more express trains coming from Western Europe in the direction of Istanbul; all of them usually have the prefix “Orient” (“East”) in their names. Figure 37 allows you to determine the main terminal points and main transport hubs, which are most numerous in Germany (Duisburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Hanover, Nuremberg, Munich). In most directions marked on the map the traffic intensity is very high. For example, up to 350 trains run along the left bank of the Rhine between Cologne and Koblenz, and about 300 trains per day along the right bank of the Rhine.

Since the early 1990s. The reconstruction of the railway network is proceeding in two main directions. This is, firstly, the already described creation of high-speed highways on the main sections of passenger traffic. And this, secondly, is the unification of the railways of Western and Central-Eastern Europe.

It can be added that, over the vast territory of the last subregion, quite significant differences have historically developed between the northern and southern groups of countries. In Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary, railway construction was carried out mainly in the 19th century, and they are characterized by a generally dense railway network. In the Balkan countries, the formation of such a network began later, and as a result its density turned out to be less. Therefore, during the period of planned economy in this subregion of Europe, railway construction took on a large scale here. Examples include the construction of the first railways in Albania, the construction of the Belgrade-Bar railway (a port on the Adriatic Sea) in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Rice. 37. International express trains in Western Europe

Western Europe is ahead of Central-Eastern Europe in terms of development road transport. In this subregion, with relatively short distances and, moreover, in the conditions of first weakening and then abolishing customs barriers in most countries, the advantages of road transport were especially revealed, which in terms of growth rates outstripped all other types. In general terms, an international network of motorways with a common numbering has already been created, the basis of which is motorways (Fig. 38).

In Germany, the autobahn network has the form of a “lattice” with intersecting lines of latitudinal and meridional directions, and almost all of them continue beyond the borders of this country. In Italy, meridional lines predominate, the main of which, the so-called “Motorway of the Sun,” connects Milan with the southern tip of the peninsula, passing through Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples. France, as one would expect, is characterized by a radial layout of the road network. One of the main highways ("South") connects Paris with Lyon, Marseille and Nice, the other ("East") - with Strasbourg. Then they continue in Italy and Germany, respectively.

Western European countries have also achieved significantly more high level motorization (Fig. 106 in Book I) than the states of Central-Eastern Europe, where until recently the development of road transport lagged noticeably behind, and the construction of modern highways began only in Czechoslovakia and Poland. Therefore, in the 1990s. Great attention was paid to the development of the road network in the countries of this subregion, especially to the development of trans-European communications in the North-South and West-East directions. An example is the project for the construction of the North-South highway, intended primarily to serve tourist flows (Fig. 39).

According to the project adopted back in 1982, this highway begins in the Polish port of Gdansk, where autotourists from Scandinavia arrive by ferry. It then passes through the countries of Central-Eastern Europe to Athens and Istanbul, with branches to the Adriatic and Black Seas. In Istanbul, two bridges across the Bosphorus can allow traffic to flow into Turkey. Thus, ten countries are planned to participate in the construction of this highway with a total length of more than 10 thousand km. The route would include many sections of existing roads reconstructed to highway standards. However, events of recent years in Central-Eastern Europe, including the situation in the former SFRY, are likely to significantly delay the implementation of this project.

In the 1990s, in the context of a completely new geopolitical situation in Europe, the strengthening of pan-European integration processes within the framework of a single European space, significantly higher value acquired another project to create a pan-European network highways– EVROVIA, covering the entire territory of Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals. Designed for 15 years, it provides for the transformation of 58 thousand km of existing roads into modern European-class roads.

Integration processes also affected the system inland waterways Europe. Their total length is 100 thousand km, including 85 thousand navigable rivers and 15 thousand km of navigable canals. Half of these routes are located within the CIS countries, the other half are within foreign Europe. Its main international river routes have long been the Rhine and Danube. This clearly implies the feasibility of connecting these two rivers with each other using the Rhine-Main-Danube “link”.

The first attempt to create such a “bundle” was made at the end of the 8th century. Frankish Emperor Charlemagne. At one time, Napoleon Bonaparte and Johann Wolfgang Goethe thought about it. But only the Bavarian king Ludwig I succeeded in 1836–1846. connect the Main to the Danube. True, the canal he built allowed only small ships (with a carrying capacity of up to 120 tons) to pass through, for which horse traction was used. In addition, the railway boom soon began in Western Europe, and the Ludwig Canal began to experience strong competition from the railways.

Rice. 38. Highways in foreign Europe

A new, modern project arose in Germany back in the 20s. XX century As a kind of preparatory stage Such construction can include work to improve navigation conditions on the Rhine and especially on the Main. As a result, by the beginning of the 90s. XX century 34 hydraulic structures were built on the Main, which now provide a minimum depth of 2.5 m in the section of its flow from Bamberg to the mouth. At the same time, large-scale hydraulic work began on the Danube. With the help of the construction of a cascade of hydroelectric power stations in its upper reaches, and then a large hydroelectric complex in the Iron Gate gorge on the Romanian-Yugoslav section of the river, it was possible to make it accessible for almost year-round navigation. Now vessels with a carrying capacity of 1.5 thousand tons and a draft of 2.5 m can also navigate the Danube.

Rice. 39. Trans-European North-South Highway Project

The connecting link between them was the Main-Danube Canal (Fig. 40), the construction of which began back in 1962. The canal has a length of 171 km. Of these, 107 km are on the northern (Main) slope of the watershed and 64 km on the southern (Danube) slope. The height difference is 243 m and is overcome using 16 locks (11 on the northern and 5 on the southern slope). The section of the route between the cities of Bamberg and Nuremberg was put into operation in 1972, and the entire canal was completed in 1992. The canal can accommodate self-propelled vessels with a carrying capacity of 1350 tons, a length of 80 m, a width of 9.5 m and a draft of 2.5 m. After increasing the possible draft to 2.7 m, it will be able to accommodate ships with a carrying capacity of 1,500 tons.

Rice. 40. Rhine–Main–Danube waterway

From now on, both main river highways of foreign Europe - the Rhine (freight turnover of over 300 million tons per year) and the Danube (over 100 million tons) - are interconnected and form a single waterway with a length of 3.5 thousand km from Rotterdam to Sulina at the mouth of the Danube. A motor vessel with a carrying capacity of 1350 tons covers this distance in 11 days, and in the opposite direction, against the current, in 17. However, such a through route can only be important for tourist cruises and some cargo, while their main flows are limited to certain sections of this waterway. ways.

In connection with Danube navigation, it is also important to mention that in Romania the construction of the long-planned Danube-Black Sea canal was completed in 1984 (Fig. 41). This canal has a length of 64 km, a width of 70-120 m and a depth of 7 m and can accommodate ships with a deadweight of 7000 tons, shortening the route to the Black Sea (compared to the route through the Danube Delta) by 240 km, and to Constanta by 400 km. The maximum throughput of the canal is 75 million tons of cargo per year.

After the connection of the Rhine with the Danube, it began to be discussed in the press Greater European Ring project, which would allow the transportation of goods and passengers along a single closed water route: St. Petersburg – Volgo-Balt – Volga – Volga-Don – Sea of ​​Azov – Black Sea – Danube – Main – Rhine – North Sea – Baltic Sea – St. Petersburg. Continuous transportation of goods along it can be ensured subject to the operation of river-sea type vessels.

Rice. 41. Danube–Black Sea Canal in Romania

Let us add that for a very long time there have been projects for waterways connecting the Danube with the Oder (the distance between Szczecin and Sulina is 2800 km) and with the Elbe (between Hamburg and Sulina 3000 km). Projects have also been developed for waterways connecting the Danube with the Adriatic Sea along the Sava and with the Aegean Sea along the Morava and Vardar. The same can be said about the project to connect the Rhine with the Rhone and create a single waterway from Rotterdam to Marseille. However, their implementation requires such huge capital investments that the interested states have not yet been able to find. In addition, many additional border, customs, and broader general political problems arise.

However, with all the importance of the listed projects, projects for the implementation of the so-called transport corridors between the West and East of Europe. These are the corridors that will play main role in the processes of pan-European integration, in the creation of a pan-European transport system. The decision on such corridors was made in 1994 at the Second Pan-European Transport Conference, where nine of them were identified. They should cover all types of transport in 24 countries. Their total length will be almost 17 thousand km, and the commissioning dates are scheduled for the period until 2010 (Table 15, Fig. 42). Each transport corridor must be multi-highway, that is, to combine parallel lines of roads and railways, and sometimes pipelines, waterways and power lines.

Table 15

TRANSPORT CORRIDORS BETWEEN WEST AND EAST EUROPE

Rice. 42. Transport corridors between the West and East of Europe (according to O. A. Volkov)

As follows from the information given in Table 15 and from Figure 42, corridor I will have highest value for the Baltic countries and Poland. Corridor III will connect the Western European transport system through Berlin with the transport systems of Poland and Ukraine. Corridor IV will run from Central Europe to the Balkans with branches to the Black Sea (to Constanta and Istanbul) and to the Aegean Sea (to Thessaloniki). Corridor V will connect the Adriatic through the territories of Hungary and Slovakia with the western part of Ukraine. Corridor VI will have a meridional direction and will run from the port of Gdansk to Slovakia. Corridor VII can be called the Danube Corridor, since it will connect the six Danube states (from Austria to Romania) using both land routes and the Danube waterway. Corridor VIII should connect the Adriatic and Black Sea and pass through the territories of Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria.

Corridors II and IX are of particular importance for Russia.

The second transport corridor Berlin - Poznan - Warsaw - Minsk - Moscow will lead to greater unification of the Russian transport system (as well as the systems of Belarus and Poland) with the pan-European one. We must also take into account that access to Berlin also means access to Brussels, Paris, and London. Along the route of this corridor, work is already underway to improve roads and create a high-speed railway, which will reduce the train travel time between Moscow and Berlin from 19 hours 30 minutes to 12 hours. One of the main problems for this high-speed rail route remains overcoming the inconveniences associated with different railway gauges in Russia and Belarus (1524 mm) and in Poland and the rest of Europe (1435 mm).

The ninth transport corridor, the longest in terms of length, also has the most complex configuration. This is a corridor of a meridional direction, which can be considered as a new, 21st century, path “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” Indeed, it leads from the shores of the Baltic (Helsinki, St. Petersburg) to the coasts of the Black (Odessa) and Aegean (Alexandroupolis) seas. At the same time, one of the routes of Corridor IX should pass through Kyiv, and the other through Moscow. Later, a decision was made to extend Corridor IX from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod.

Both the II and IX transport corridors should be continued in the future, becoming integral parts of the International Transport Corridors “West – East” and “North – South”. In the first case, this means access from Nizhny Novgorod with its new terminal to the Trans-Siberian Railway, along which transit between Western Europe and Far East 500 thousand containers per year. In the second - the continuation of the transport route, first to Astrakhan, and then to

Dagestan, Azerbaijan with further access to Iran and the countries of the Middle East. It should be taken into account that Russia has already begun to implement an agreement with the European Union on opening its inland waterways to the entry of foreign ships. In addition, Russia proposed to European countries to create an international water transport corridor Volga-Don-Danube with access to the Caspian sea lines.

Let us also pay attention to the fact that Europe has already received good transport links with Asia Minor thanks to two modern road bridges across the Bosphorus Strait, each of which carries more than 20 thousand cars per day. And soon, perhaps, it will receive more convenient communications with Africa. Back in 1995, Spain and Morocco decided to build a railway tunnel (similar to the Eurotunnel) across the Strait of Gibraltar. Its length should be 39 km, of which 20 km will pass under the bottom of the strait at a depth of 100 m.

Introduction

Germany is one of the leading economic powers in the world. Her proi h Water potential requires constant integration of all stages of the production and exchange cycle both within the country and within Europe and the world as a whole.Because Germany is located at the heart of Europe, its dense transport network not only serves the needs of its own highly developed, advanced economy, but also provides connections with neighboring countries. Economic features water transport allow it to lead in a number of characteristics, so in my work I will consider x A characteristics of inland water transport, transport system r mania and features of the management system of inland waterways in Germany.

1. Inland water transport

1.1. General provisions

Transport is the most important infrastructure sector in the functional And onionization of the economy at any geographical level. Transport clearly reflects the changes taking place in the geographical division of labor and in the relationship between producers and buyers.

Water transport transport using natural and artificial reservoirs. The main means of transport is a ship. Based on the type of water areas used, it is divided into river and sea. Transportation on lakes is usually classified as river transport (with the exception of the largest lakes such as the Caspian Sea). Sea and river ports are used for loading and unloading; Sea and river terminals are being built for passengers.

Water transport is characterized by high carrying capacity and very low cost of transportation; in addition, it allows you to transport almost any large cargo. Water transport is vital where land transport is not possible: between continents, islands, and in underdeveloped areas. The speed of water transport is relatively low, and inland water transport is seasonal and depends on the climatic conditions of the territory.

1.2. Features of inland water transport in Europe

More than 46,000 kilometers of inland waterways connect hundreds of cities and industrial regions in EU countries. There are 20 EU Member States that have inland waterways, 12 of which have an interconnected network of waterways.

Inland waterway transport plays an important role for the transport of goods in Europe. Compared with other modes of transport, which often face congestion and capacity problems, inland water transport is characterized by its reliability, relatively low impact on environment and potential for wider use. The European Commission is committed to promoting and strengthening the competitive position of the inland transport system and promoting its integration into intermodal transport solutions.

Today, the role of river transport in Europe is also quite large - 5% of all transport, although, of course, it cannot compete with rail, road or pipeline transport. And, nevertheless, even after standing for a few minutes on the banks of the Rhine or Danube, it is not difficult to see that these are working rivers: laden ships flying the flags of different countries continuously go in both directions.

River transport has the lowest cost of transportation, good consistency with international transport network, it does not require large financial investments in infrastructure. If we compare the cost of 1 thousand km of railway and the funds required to equip 1 thousand km of river for navigation for the construction of piers, port mechanisms, warehouses, installation of hydrographic equipment, dredging, it turns out that the development of river routes costs 8 -10 times cheaper.

In terms of the length of inland waterways, Europe lags significantly behind other regions of the world. The length of the shipping routes of the European Union is more than 50 thousand km (including France 8.5 thousand km, Finland 7.8 thousand, Germany 7.5 thousand, the Netherlands 6.2 thousand km).

The largest navigable rivers in Europe Volga (2600 km from Rzhev), Danube (2414 km from Kölheim in Bavaria), Don, Oka, Rhine (952 km from Basel), Elsa (950 km), Dnieper, Kama, Vychegda, Vistula (940 km), Meuse (880 km), Odra (790 km), Northern Dvina.

Today, in terms of the share of cargo turnover in total cargo turnover, they are in the leadThe Netherlands (54%), followed by Germany (20%), Belgium (15%), France (3%). (see Appendix 2)

At the turn of XX and XXI centuries, river transport, one might say, found itself in crisis. It could not compete with other modes of transport. However, in recent years There is a lot of talk about energy saving and alternative energy sources. And it was then that the Europeans remembered the cheapest and least energy-intensive form of transport. In connection with the development of multi-system supply chains based on a combination of river and road transport, the share of river transport began to grow, and until recently, as noted above, it was 5%. The European Commission has proposed an ambitious multi-year action program designed to promote the development of river transport in Europe. This program is described as a decisive contribution to the European strategy for economic growth and employment. River routes make transport in Europe more efficient, reliable and economical. Recent years have seen impressive rates of growth in river transport in many European countries.

2. German waterways

2.1. Geographical features of Germany and prerequisites for the development of inland waterways

I.A. Vitver examined in detail the geographical prerequisites for the development of external relations in Europe, assessing them as quite favorable. As the geographic division of labor deepened, these prerequisites began to be used more and more widely, with river and maritime connections beginning to take first place.

The two main areas of European trade were connected by meridional trade routes, where river routes were laid, which were still combined with land routes in watershed areas. This entire system of meridional routes was intersected by two latitudinal routes: the first Danube, where Linz, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade arose, and the second along small rivers in the foothills of the Ore Mountains, Sudetenland, and Carpathians. Leipzig, Wroclaw, Krakow, Lviv were formed here. We were very successful in using our geographical location at the intersection of the latitudinal and meridional river routes of Augsburg and Nuremberg.

2.2. German inland waterway management system

The total length of inland waterways in Germany is about 6.8 thousand km. (see Appendix 1) Their density is greater in East Germany, but their capacity is greater in Western Germany. Augsburg and Nuremberg are the largest transshipment points through which the main river trade routes pass, connecting the northern and southern regions of Europe. The total annual volume of transportation is usually 230-260 million tons, of which more than 2/3 is interstate transportation.

Of the total amount of cargo transported, 20% accounts for GDP, which is comparable to transportation by rail. In 2010, 229 million tons were transported across Germany's GDP: 30% domestic cargo, 10% transit and 60% import-export cargo. The main waterway of Germany is also the Rhine, through which two-thirds of the volume of cargo transported by GDP passes. Bulk cargo is the main cargo transported by water transport, accounting for 88%, but recently there has been a noticeable increase in containerized cargo. In 2010, about 750,000 tons were transported across Germany's GDP, an increase of 14%,

than in 1998

The Rhine is for Germany what the Volga is for Russia: if the Volga in Russia is called “mother,” then the Rhine in Germany is called “father.” The length of the river, which is the main water transport artery of Germany, according to updated data, is 1233 km, the area of ​​the basin together with the Maas River is 251800 km². (excluding the Meuse 185,000 km²), the maximum depth in the navigable section is 25 m. More than 50 million people live along the banks of the Rhine, which indicates the exceptional role of the Rhine for coastal countries and the high environmental load on the coastal geoecosystem. Regular sailing of steamships on the Rhine began in 1885.

The Rhine has a smooth and calm flow. It is navigable as far as Rheinfelden. Large pusher tugs, capable of moving four to six barges, are replacing standard large-tonnage (1,350 tons) self-propelled barges. The Moselle is navigable all the way to Lorraine (France), connecting it with the Saar industrial region in Germany. The Neckar is navigable to Stuttgart and a little further upstream. The river basins of the Rhine and Danube were connected to each other after the construction of a canal from the Main. Canals running through the Ruhr area connect it with the North German ports of Emden, Bremen and Hamburg. In the territory of the former GDR, the canals around Berlin are intensively exploited, but the two main rivers, the Elbe and the Oder, have summer period Very low level water, which makes them difficult to use.

Today the Rhine is one of the busiest rivers in the world. The total volume of traffic along the Rhine is about 300 million tons. In the middle reaches of the Rhine, up to 120 ships pass per day. The Rhine is navigable for 952 km up to Besel and Lake Baden. It is connected by canals to the Rhone, Marne, Weser and Elbe. To ensure normal navigation, all waterworks are equipped with shipping locks capable of simultaneously passing up to four barges with a total carrying capacity of 8.8 thousand tons.

The second largest river in Europe is the Danube, which is 2,783 km long. (see Appendix 4) Of these, 2414 km are navigable, and the length of the shipping routes of the entire Danube basin is more than 5000 km. The peculiarity of the Danube is that it is the only river in Europe that flows in a latitudinal direction from west to east and flows into the Black Sea. The depth of the fairway ranges from 4 to 25 m, although in some places the depths are even greater. There are a lot of riffles in the river that make swimming difficult. The river has more than 300 tributaries, 34 of which are navigable. The tributaries form an extensive river network with an area of ​​817 thousand km². The Danube flows through the territories of 10 countries of Western and Central-Eastern Europe, and the river basin covers 18 European countries.

The river is usually divided into 3 sections: the upper from Kelheim (2415 km) to Genya (1791 km), the middle from Genyu to Turnu Severin (931 km) and the lower fromTurnu Severina to Sulina. The upper Danube is worthy of attention: it is on it that there is a canal that makes a significant contribution to the Danube cargo flow.

The Main Danube Canal (see Appendix 3) is a connecting link between the Danube and the Rhine, the construction of which began in 1962. The canal has a length of 171 km. Of these, 107 km are on the northern (Main) slope of the watershed and 64 km on the southern (Danube) slope. The height difference is 243 m and is overcome using 16 locks (11 onnorthern and 5 on the southern slope). The canal can accommodate self-propelled vessels with a carrying capacity of 1,350 tons, a length of 80 m, a width of 9.5 m and a draft of 2.5 m. After increasing the possible draft to 2.7 m, it will be able to accommodate ships with a carrying capacity of 1,500 tons.

Through the Main-Danube Canal, cargo flows along the canal in their own way specific gravity always more significant for Rhine shipping; this can be seen from a comparison of annual traffic volumes on the Danube and Rhine, which in 2003 amounted to 24.7 and 187.0 million tons, respectively.

Natural shipping routes had a significant influence on the development of industry and trade in Germany. It is on the main waterways that largest cities and industrial centers. To develop shipping, we need our own production and repair bases.

In total, there are 130 shipyards in Germany. The total annual turnover in the shipbuilding sector alone is 5 billion euros, of which 75% is exported.In total, approximately 50 river shipyards are mid-level family businesses that compete in a very complex and oversaturated market..

Today there are about 900 enterprises engaged in cargo transportation by inland waterways (see Appendix 5). Their number decreases annually, as does freight turnover (see Appendix 6), but the popularity of this particular type of transportation for certain types of cargo and the value of Germany’s inland waterways with all its infrastructure remains unchanged.

Conclusion

We looked at the main waterways of Germany, one of the largest economic powers in the world. Their potential was recognized many centuries ago. The management structure has been formed and works effectively, transporting raw materials, materials, equipment and other goods, ensuring trade turnover not only within the country, but also within the EU as a whole.

Inland waterways remain the cheapest and in a simple way delivery of heavy cargo, however, even in such a technologically and financially secure country, problems arise. The Shipping Commission, together with the European Union, is developing programs for the development of inland water transport for its effective operation.

Germany's main navigable rivers: the Rhine, Main and Danube play a key role in the import and export of goods passing through the northwesternports of Europe. They make up a significant part of the transport infrastructure. Germany has a system of interconnected GDPs, which ensures environmental friendliness, low transportation costs, and safety compared to land-based alternatives, especially with motor transport, which also gets into congestion and traffic jams.

The above determines that water transport is not considered as a competitor or alternative to trains and cars, but as additional opportunity accelerating cargo turnover and reducing the load on land infrastructure. Relatively short transportation distances make it possible to select efficient water transport vehicles, meeting the infrastructure requirements, and the difference isdelivery speed will not be so noticeable and critical.

List of used literature

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2. Vitver A.I. Historical and geographical introduction to economic geography foreign world. Moscow: Geographgiz, 1963.
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4. World history. Moscow: Sotsekgiz, 1955-1960. Tom I - VII.
5. Eurostat. [Electronic resource] Access mode: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/
6. Loebe K. Metropolis of the seas. Signs of a seaport.[Electronic resource] Access mode: www. karelia 2010. ru / met /113- primety - porta . html
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Routes along rivers and lakes greatly facilitated the exploration and development of almost all continents; to this day they continue to serve both travel and commercial purposes. Although in different countries The requirements for navigation are different; a depth of at least 1.2 m is required to allow vessels to pass through.

The cost of creating and operating waterways has long been a topic of debate among engineers, economists and politicians. Transportation by water is slower, but cheaper than by rail or road, unless the cost of maintaining the water route is included in the cost of transportation. It is the need for periodic dredging and other hydraulic works that gives an advantage to land means of transport. But even taking this into account, they prefer to transport large quantities of raw materials, such as coal or oil, ore or grain, by water.

Prevalence of waterways.

European rivers play an important role in the quality of waterways, due to the ease of communication and high population density in Europe. The Rhine, Danube and Volga have been used for many centuries. In the lowlands of central Europe, more goods are transported by rivers and canals than by road or railways. An extensive network of canals unites the rivers here into a single water transport system. Canals have been built that allow ocean-going ships to enter ports such as Antwerp and Rotterdam. In Europe by water They transport mainly large consignments of heavy and bulky raw materials. Important waterways in other parts of the world include the Amazon River in South America, Nile in Africa, Yangtze in Asia.

The United States has an extensive river network that, with regular hydraulic work, provides many shipping routes. The United States and Canada have the world's largest shipping traffic on the Great Lakes. From New England to Florida, the Connecticut, Hudson, Delaware, Potomac, James, Savannah and other rivers, as well as the Delaware, Chesapeake and other bays, provide river and coastal navigation. On the Pacific coast, excellent ports are located in San Francisco Bay, as well as on the Sacramento, Columbia and Willamette rivers, in Puget Sound and its river bays. However, more than half of US inland waterway traffic occurs in the Mississippi Basin and Great Lakes. Hydraulic structures (canals, locks, dams, etc.) made almost the entire Mississippi and Ohio basin navigable. The Mississippi system is connected to Lake Michigan by rivers and canals of the Illinois system. The importance of the Great Lakes for transport increased after the completion of the sea shipping route along the St. Lawrence River in 1959, which allowed ships with deep draft to leave the lakes for the Atlantic Ocean.

A network of canals in the states of New York and Illinois, as well as the Intracoastal Waterway, which runs parallel to almost the entire coast Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, significantly increase the length of American waterways.

Ocean routes.

Modern routes of ocean liners tend to follow great circle arcs globe, which pass through the points of departure and arrival. So, although Yokohama is located almost on the same parallel with San Francisco, the shortest route along the great circle arc is to the north, near the Aleutian Islands. The shortest distance from New York to Liverpool (England) is near the Great Bank of Newfoundland. Today there are seven main ocean routes:

1. The busiest North Atlantic route connects the ports of the Atlantic coast of America from Canada to Florida with the ports of Western Europe.

2. The second busiest route goes through the Suez Canal. Here the routes from Europe, from the Atlantic coast of North and Central America to east Africa, India and other countries of southern and southeast asia. The shortest route from Europe to Australia, China and Japan also passes through the Suez Canal; however, routes to this part of the globe from the east coast of the United States and the Caribbean are shorter via the Panama Canal. To this day, many freight routes between Western Europe and Australia go around the Cape of Good Hope. The route through the Suez Canal is 1,600 km shorter, but due to the high cost of passage through the canal, the longer route is cheaper. In addition, the largest ships cannot pass through the Suez Canal.

3. The third busiest route is the Panama Canal route. This route significantly shortens the route from the ports of the east coast of the United States and Western Europe to the west coast of North and South America. From New York to San Francisco through the Strait of Magellan the distance is 21,134 km, and through the Panama Canal 8,467 km. From New York to Valparaiso in Chile through the Strait of Magellan is 13,483 km, and through the Panama Canal is 7,020 km. The distance from Liverpool to Valparaiso via the canal is shorter by 2478 km. Line equal distances from New York through the Suez and Panama Canals it passes near Hong Kong and Manila, and from England – east of Australia and Japan. Thus, routes through the Suez Canal from Europe to all Asian countries and Australia are shorter.

4. West African routes connect the Atlantic ports of Europe and the Americas with the western and southeastern coasts of Africa. This is a short route from the Atlantic coasts of North and South America, as well as northern and western Europe to Australia and New Zealand. Supertankers carrying oil from the Middle East to Europe follow the same route.

5. South American routes connect Europe and the Atlantic coast of the United States with Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. The importance of this route is growing due to the increase in cargo turnover with these South American countries.

6. Routes in the northern part Pacific Ocean connect the Pacific coast of the USA and Canada with Japan and China. Most of these routes are great circle routes near the Aleutian Islands, but some passenger and cargo ships call at Honolulu, adding 1,600 km to the route from San Francisco to Yokohama, for example.

7. In the South Pacific, two routes are of interest to the United States: one through Honolulu, Samoa and the Fiji Islands, and the other through Tahiti and the Society Islands. Both routes link the US Pacific coast with New Zealand and Australia, and also, via the Panama Canal, the North Atlantic countries with Australia and the islands of the South Pacific.

Types of vessels.

Most ships are designed in accordance with navigation requirements (sailing mode) and for a specific type of cargo. Some river vessels are intended only for passengers, more vessels are used to transport passengers and cargo (cargo-passenger), but the bulk of the vessels specialize in the transport of goods. There are four main types of sea vessels: 1) cargo ships (dry cargo, liquid, combined, etc.), which carry out individual orders or operate on regular routes; 2) cargo-passenger ships; 3) high-speed passenger liners with two or three classes for passengers, as well as mail and luggage compartments; 4) a small number of comfortable high-speed ships, designed only for passengers and mail.