The Bijela is a river in southern

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

that flows into the Karin Sea, an

inland sea An inland sea (also known as an epeiric sea or an epicontinental sea) is a continental body of water which is very large and is either completely surrounded by dry land or connected to an ocean by a river, strait, or "arm of the sea". An inland se ...

located in the middle part of the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...

and the northern part of

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

. Its spring is situated in a vast

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

and the river itself is only long, but an hydrographic phenomenon that flows through a peculiar and unique

canyon A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...

and has a lot of

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

s and small

pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...

s or pools between them.

Geography and hydrography

Bijela is one of the smallest rivers in northern Dalmatia, flowing from east to west, and enters Karin Sea at Gornji Karin, a village belonging to the Town of Obrovac in the

Zadar County Zadar County ( hr, Zadarska županija ) is a county in Croatia, it encompasses northern Dalmatia and southeastern Lika. Its seat is the city of Zadar. Geography Among the largest towns in the county of Zadar are: Zadar, Benkovac, Bibinje, Bi ...

. The spring of Bijela is located at an altitude of approximately 300 meters, below the Pržun mountain peak (351 meters above sea level), a part of Orljak, an uneven plateau in

Bukovica Bukovica may refer to: Croatia *Bukovica, Dalmatia, a geographical region in Croatia * Bukovica, Sisak-Moslavina County, a village near Topusko * Bukovica, Brod-Posavina County, a village near Rešetari *Nova Bukovica, a village and municipality i ...

geographical region, whose highest point is Jurišinka mountain peak (674 m), the topmost peak of Bukovica. The spring water flows through and out of the cave below huge rocks. In its upper part, the river flows through a deep canyon characterized by

steep slope A ''Steilhang'' (pl: ''Steilhänge'') is a geoscientific term for a steep mountainside or hillside (or a part thereof), the average slope of which is greater than 1:2 or 30°. Leser defines a ''steilhang'' as a mountainside with an incline of bet ...

s and a series of small and medium-sized waterfalls (highest about 15–20 meters). The canyon was formed in layered

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, which enable the waterfalls to form natural pools of transparent, greenish or whitish colour of the water. It is the molten limestone that gives the water its whitish colour and that is why the river got its name (Bijela = White). Rijeka Bijela - suho korito ljeti

During the dry season though, in summer, the river dries up and only its dry

bed A bed is an item of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax. Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame. The mattress rests either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many b ...

remains visible. In its lower course there is an

asphalt road Asphalt concrete (commonly called asphalt, blacktop, or pavement in North America, and tarmac, bitumen macadam, or rolled asphalt in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland) is a composite material commonly used to surface roads, parking ...

and a bridge, connecting villages Gornji Karin and Donji Karin, that overlooks the river bed.

Points of interest

Bijela is a

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that Tourism, tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of ...

, especially its upper course. It offers opportunities for outdoor

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...

, relaxation,

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...

and

exploration Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

. It is a place for

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

, walking in nature, and

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

References

External links

Video

Slide show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bijela (Karin Sea) Rivers of Croatia Landforms of Zadar County

Geography and hydrography

Points of interest

See also

References

External links