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RHINE RIVER

19th December, 2023

RHINE RIVER

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Context

  • Following a period of intense rain and snowmelt, the Rhine River in southern Germany remained impassable for ships.

About Rhine River

  • The Rhine River rises in the Swiss Alps (in Switzerland) and is the second-longest river in Central and Western Europe after the Danube.
  • The appellation of the Rhine River varies according on the nation it traverses.
  • Rhine is the name given to it in France, Rhein in Germany, and Rijn in the Netherlands.
  • The river starts in the southeast Swiss Alps in the canton of Graubünden.
  • It is a portion of the borders between Switzerland and Germany, Austria, and Lichtenstein.
  • Subsequently, the Rhine delineates a significant portion of the Franco-German frontier, subsequently meandering predominantly northward into the German Rhineland.
  • The Rhine finally changes its course in Germany, flowing mostly westward into the Netherlands before emptying into the North Sea.
  • Before emptying into the North Sea in Rotterdam, the Rhine passes through six nations: Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
  • Much of the northern inland border of the Roman Empire was formed by the Rhine and Danube, and ever since then, the Rhine has played a crucial role as a navigable waterway, transporting commodities and trade far inland.
  • Its importance as a waterway in the Holy Roman Empire is attested to by the numerous castles and defences constructed along it.
  • Among the largest and most important cities on the Rhine are Cologne, Rotterdam, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Strasbourg, Nijmegen, and Basel.
  • Tributaries: Some of the notable tributaries of the Rhine River include Aare, Tamina, Moselle, Erft, Rein da Tuma, Plessur, Rotach, and Wiese.
  • It facilitates industrial transportation and supports industrial production, with about 20% of the world’s chemical industries manufacturing along the river.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Consider the following:

  1. Switzerland
  2. Germany
  3. France
  4. Lithunia

The Rhine River flows through how many of the above countries?

A) Only one

B) Only two

C) Only three

D) All four

Answer: C