The
Rhine
River
The
Rhine
River
is one of the most
important waterways in
Germany
and is linked by canals
to other major rivers in
Western Europe
. Many German
manufacturing and industrial cities are located along the
Rhine
, and the river is
important for shipping and transportation. The Rhine River is a large alluvial river system that
flows from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea. Its catchment area includes land in Switzerland, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands (Broselilce 1991). Today, it is a vital shipping route linking the industrialized areas of the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland to the North Sea (Van Dijk 1992).
The
Rhine
begins as a
tumultuous Alpine stream churning through deep gorges, and because it is fed by
the meltwaters of snow and glaciers, it has a maximum volume in spring and
summer. Although the river's flow is moderated somewhat as it passes through the
Bodensee
(
Lake of Constance
), the river
remains a torrent westward to
Basel
,
Switzerland
. Near the Swiss canton
of Schaffhausen it is 185 m (600 ft) wide and plunges 23 m (75 ft) over a
spectacular waterfall, the Rheinfall.
The
Rhine
Valley
- the heartland
of the old
Holy
Roman Empire
- has a
particularly high density of important medieval military buildings. Some are
ruins, but many, like
Marksburg
Castle
, have survived
the ravages of war, fire and neglect. Some are fascinating windows into the age
of chivalry and the development of this fascinating form of military
construction.
Click here to
find answers to the following questions
Click here
to find out more about the Rhine River
The
Rhine
river flows
from _________________________ to the _______________________ .
Name four countries that the
Rhine
River
flows through:
The
Rhine
River
is ____________Km Long.
Convert this to miles using the following Formula:
1 Mile = 1.609 Km Km / 1.609 = Miles. Example 10 Kms / 1.609 = 6.21 miles.
____________
Where
does the
Rhine
River
begin?
__________________________________________
The
Rhine
River
is the longest river
in
Europe
. True or False
______
The
Rhine
is navigable
from its mouth to
Basel
, a distance of
800 km (500 mi). The principal rivers of
Western Europe
, including the
Seine
,
Elbe
,
Ems
, Rhône, and
Saône, are linked to it by canals. In 1992 an important canal link to the
Danube
River
was completed,
through the
Main
River
, which opened
up shipping between the
North Sea
and
Black Sea
. The
Rhine
drains an area
noted for its mineral, industrial, and agricultural wealth, and has been open to
international navigation since 1868 by terms of the Mannheim Convention. Modern
technology now allows 24-hour navigation on the
Rhine
and the
transport of heavier loads, including coal, iron ore, grain, potash, petroleum,
iron and steel, timber, and other commodities
At
1320 kilometers the Rhine is the longest river in Europe. It rises in
the Swiss Alps issuing from the Rheinwaldhorn Glacier 3,353 m above sea
level. It flows generally north, passing through or bordering on Switzerland,
Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, and the Netherlands before emptying
into the North Sea at Rotterdam. Its important tributaries are the Aare,
Neckar, Main, Moselle, and Ruhr rivers.
Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved.
To
learn more about the Rhine River visit these sites.
http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/around_the_world/regions/europe/rhine_river/
http://www.visit-alsace.com/where_is_it/ou_c_ang_pays_rhine.html
http://www.wmo.ch/web/Press/rhine.html
http://www.thewaterpage.com/rhine_main.htm
http://www.unesco.org/courier/2000_06/uk/planet.htm
http://www.castles.org/castles/Europe/Central_Europe/Germany/germany1.htm
http://pages.prodigy.com/buster/rhine.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/28022/case/rhine.html