Guadalquivir
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Guadalquivir | |
الوادي الكبير | |
River | |
Guadalquivir River in Coria del Río
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Name origin: = from wadi al-kabir, "great valley" in Arabic | |
Country | Spain |
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Region | Andalucia |
Tributaries | |
- left | Guadiana Menor, Guadalbullón, Guadajoz, Genil, Corbones, Guadaira |
- right | Guadalimar, Jándula, Yeguas, Guadalmellato, Guadiato, Bembézar, Viar, Rivera de Huelva, Guadiamar |
Cities | Córdoba, Sevilla |
Source | Cañada de las Fuentes |
- location | Cazorla Mountains, Jaén |
Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
- location | Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz |
- elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
- coordinates | |
Length | 657 km (408 mi) |
Basin | 56,978 km² (21,999 sq mi) |
Discharge | for Seville |
- average | 164.3 m³/s (5,802 cu ft/s) |
Website: Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir | |
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in Spain (after the Tagus, Ebro, Douro and Guadiana), and the longest in Andalucía. The name comes from the Arabic al-wādi al-kabīr (الوادي الكبير), 'The Great Valley'. The river was called Betis (or Baetis) from Pre-Roman times to the Al-Andalus period, giving its name to the Hispania Baetica Roman province.
The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers. It begins at Cañada de las Fuentes in the Cazorla mountain range (Jaén), passes through Córdoba and Sevilla and ends at the fishing village of Bonanza, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, flowing into the Gulf of Cádiz, in the Atlantic Ocean. The marshy lowlands at the river's end are known as "Las Marismas". It borders Doñana National Park reserve.
The Guadalquivir river is the only great navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable up as far as Seville, but in Roman times it was navigable to Córdoba.
The ancient city of Tartessos was said to be have been located at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, although its site has not yet been found.
[edit] Image gallery
Guadalquivir river, Córdoba |
Guadalquivir River in Coria del Río, Seville (navigable) |
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Cormorants in lower Guadalquivir (Doñana National Park) |