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Váh

Coordinates:47°55′N18°01′E/ 47.917°N 18.017°E/47.917; 18.017
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Vah" and "Vah River" redirect here. For the Russian river, seeVakh.For the script of the Bassa language, seeBassa Vah.
Váh
The Váh nearPiešťany.
The current and watershed of the Váh from its Čierny Váh (Southern) and Biely Váh (Northern) sources until it enters theDanube(magenta)
Location
CountrySlovakia
Physical characteristics
SourceČierny Váh
• locationKráľova hoľa,Nízke Tatry
2nd sourceBiely Váh
• locationVažecká dolina,Vysoké Tatry
MouthDanube River
• location
Komárno
• elevation
106.5 m (349 ft)
Length403 km (250 mi)
Basin size15,075 km2(5,820 sq mi)
Discharge
• average196 m3/s (6,900 cu ft/s)
• minimum22.3 m3/s (790 cu ft/s)
• maximum1,825 m3/s (64,400 cu ft/s)
Basin features
ProgressionDanube→Black Sea

TheVáh(Slovak pronunciation:[ʋaːx];German:Waag,pronounced[vaːk]ⓘ;[1]Hungarian:Vág;[2][3]Polish:Wag[4]) is the longestriverwithinSlovakia.Towns on the river includeLiptovský Hrádok,Liptovský Mikuláš,Ružomberok,Vrútky,Žilina,Bytča,Považská Bystrica,Púchov,Ilava,Dubnica nad Váhom,Nemšová,Trenčín,Nové Mesto nad Váhom,Piešťany,Hlohovec,Sereď,Šaľa,KolárovoandKomárno.

Etymology

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The name is of Germanic or Slavic origin. It could be derived from old Germanicwȃg(stream) or proto-Slavicvagъ,vaga(pole, stick, carved branch) referring to reinforced riverbanks. Several Slavic river names with a similar motivation exist, but pre-Slavic origin of larger rivers in Slovakia is assumed in general.[5]The earliest mentions areflumen Vvaga(1111) andaqua Vvac'(1113).[5]

Geography

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A lefttributaryof theDanuberiver, the Váh is 406 kilometres (252 mi) long, including its Čierny Váh branch. Its two sources, theBiely Váh(White Váh) and theČierny Váh(Black Váh), are located in theVysoké Tatry(High Tatras) andNízke Tatry(Low Tatra) mountains, respectively, and it flows over northern and western Slovakia and finally feeds into the Danube nearKomárno.Theleft tributariesare Demänovka, Revúca, Ľubochnianka,Turiec,RajčankaandNitrarivers, and theright tributariesareBelá,Orava,Varínka,Kysuca,Biela voda, Vlára, Dubová,DudváhandMalý Dunajrivers. In late medieval time it was a property ofStibor of Stiboriczand his son Stibor of Beckov of theClan of Ostoja,later passing toMaurice Benyovszkyas a gift ofMaria Theresa.

It includes canals, artificial dams (Čierny Váh,Liptovská Mara,Bešeňová, Krpeľany,Žilina,Hričov,Nosice,Sĺňava,Madunice,Kráľováand Selice) and 16 hydropower stations, whose construction started in the 1930s and increased afterWorld War II.The main Slovaklimited-access motorwayis along the Váh (Bratislava–Trenčín–Považská Bystrica–ŽilinaandRužomberok–Poprad), as well as the main railway Bratislava – Žilina –Košice.

References

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  1. ^The Cambridge Ancient History.Cambridge UniversityPress. 1970.ISBN0-521-26335-2
  2. ^Kocsis, Károly (2001). "Towns in Slovakia with absolute Hungarian majority".Ethnic Geography of the Hungarian Minorities in the Carpathian.p. 73.ISBN1-931313-75-X.Retrieved2008-07-02.
  3. ^Felbermann, Louis (1892).Hungary and Its People.Retrieved2008-07-02.
  4. ^Wagw Słowniku geograficznym Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich (in Geographical Dictionary of Polish Kingdom and other Slavic countries).
  5. ^abKrško, Jaromír (2009)."Praslovanské apelatíva ako motivanty hydroným povodia Váhu"(PDF).Slavica Slovaca(in Slovak) (1): 12.

Sources

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  • Media related toVáhat Wikimedia Commons

47°55′N18°01′E/ 47.917°N 18.017°E/47.917; 18.017

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