The Morava (german: March, hu, Morva, pl, Morawa) is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in
Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
, a left tributary of the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
. It is the main river of
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The me ...
, which derives its name from it. The river originates on the
Králický Sněžník
Králický Sněžník () or Śnieżnik (Polish: ) is a mountain in Eastern Bohemia, located on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland. With , it is the highest mountain of the Snieznik Mountains.
Etymology
The name ''Sněžník'' or ' ...
mountain in the north-eastern corner of
Pardubice Region
Pardubice Region ( cs, Pardubický kraj; , ; pl, Kraj pardubicki) is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located mainly in the eastern part of its historical region of Bohemia, with a small part in northwestern Moravia. It ...
, near the border between the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
and
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
and has a vaguely southward trajectory. The lower part of the river's course forms the border between the Czech Republic and
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
and then between
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and Slovakia.
Etymology
Though the German name ''March'' may refer to ''Mark'', "border, frontier" (cf. English ''
march
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...
''), the river's name more probably is derived from
Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-European languages. No direct record of Proto-Indo-E ...
''*mori'', "waters" (''
mare
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...
''). It was first documented as ''Maraha'' in an 892 deed.
History
The shores of the Morava have been inhabited for a very long time. The village of , on the Austrian part of the river, was the location of a human settlement already 30,000 years ago.
[ Agriculture began to be practiced in the Morava valley approximately 7,000 years ago, and fortified settlements began to appear during the ]New Stone Age
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
.[
The lower part of the river, downstream of the confluence with the Thaya at ]Hohenau an der March
Hohenau an der March ( cs, Cáhnov, sk, Cahnov) is a town in the district of Gänserndorf in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, close to Vienna and the borders with the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Geography
The town lies on the river Morava ...
, which today marks the Austro-Slovakian border, is one of the oldest national boundaries still extant in continental Europe: it was the eastern boundary of the Carolingian Empire
The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the Lom ...
with the Avar Khaganate
The Pannonian Avars () were an alliance of several groups of Eurasian nomads of various origins. The peoples were also known as the Obri in chronicles of Rus, the Abaroi or Varchonitai ( el, Βαρχονίτες, Varchonítes), or Pseudo-Avars ...
around 800, and from the 10th century onward marked the border of the Imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imperial, Nebraska
* Imperial, Pennsylvania
* Imperial, Texa ...
''marcha orientalis Eastern March ( la, Marcha Orientalis, link=no) may refer to:
* any frontier region (march) that is positioned towards the East
* Eastern March (Austria), a medieval march on the Danube river
* Eastern March (Saxony), a medieval march to the eas ...
'', later Duchy of Austria
The Duchy of Austria (german: Herzogtum Österreich) was a medieval principality of the Holy Roman Empire, established in 1156 by the ''Privilegium Minus'', when the Margraviate of Austria (''Ostarrîchi'') was detached from Bavaria and elevated ...
, with the Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
(within the Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
during 1526–1918 because of imperial expansion). During the Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, this section of the river was part of the Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...
, forming the frontier between Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
.
In July 1997, the Morava basin (especially its northern and eastern part) was affected by heavy stratiform
Stratiform may refer to:
* Any of the stratus family of clouds (fog, stratus clouds, altostratus clouds, cirrostratus clouds, nimbostratus clouds) and the precipitation coming from them.
* Any occurrence of layered strata (see stratigraphic unit). ...
rain
Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
, which lasted several days and caused catastrophic floods, which also affected the Oder River
The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows thr ...
basin in Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
and Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. In the Czech Republic, 49 people lost their life, more than 250 villages had to be evacuated and the total damage was 63 billion crowns
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
.
History of the river
File:NHM - Stillfried Skelette.jpg, Skeletons of a family (9th century BC) of the Urnfield culture site at Stillfried
File:Schloss Hof 3. Terrasse - Brunnengrotte 1b March.jpg, An allegorical representation of Morava at Schloss Hof
Schloss Hof is a palace located in Marchfeld, Austria near the border of Slovakia. It once belonged to Prince Eugene of Savoy who purchased it late in his life in 1726. He had it enlarged in the Baroque style by the architect Johann Lukas von Hil ...
in Austria
File:Povodeň 1997 Uherské Hradiště - náměstí 2.jpg, The flood of 1997 in Uherské Hradiště
Uherské Hradiště (; german: Ungarisch Hradisch, hu, Magyarhradis) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants. The agglomeration with the two neighbouring towns of Staré Město and Kunovice has over ...
Course
The river originates in the Králický Sněžník
Králický Sněžník () or Śnieżnik (Polish: ) is a mountain in Eastern Bohemia, located on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland. With , it is the highest mountain of the Snieznik Mountains.
Etymology
The name ''Sněžník'' or ' ...
mountains in north-western Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The me ...
, not far from the border with Poland. The lowlands formed by the river are the Upper Moravian Vale or ''Hornomoravský úval'' and then the Lower Morava Valley
The Lower Morava Valley ( cs, Dolnomoravský úval, Jihomoravská pánev; sk, Dolnomoravský úval; german: Nieder March Talsenke) is a geomorphological formation (special type of valley) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is formed by the ...
or ''Dolnomoravský úval'' in Moravia, the ''Morava Field'' or Marchfeld
The Marchfeld ('' Morava Field'') is the north area of the Vienna Basin which is a sedimentary basin between the Eastern Alps and the Western Carpathians.
History and location
This historical region is known from the Battle on the Marchfeld. It i ...
in Lower Austria
Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...
, and the Záhorie
Záhorie ( hu, Erdőhát) is a region in western Slovakia between by the Little Carpathians to the east and the Morava (river), Morava River to the west. Although not an administrative region, it is one of the List of tourism regions of Slovakia, ...
Lowland or ''Záhorská nížina'' in Slovakia. The latter three are actually continuous parts of one large basin, forming the major part of the Vienna Basin
The Vienna Basin (german: Wiener Becken, cz, Vídeňská pánev, sk, Viedenská kotlina, Hungarian: ''Bécsi-medence'') is a geologically young tectonic burial basin and sedimentary basin in the seam area between the Alps, the Carpathians and t ...
.
In the Czech Republic, there are some larger towns lying upon Morava, particularly Olomouc
Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019).
Located on th ...
, Kroměříž
Kroměříž (; german: Kremsier) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 28,000 inhabitants. It is known for the Kroměříž Castle with castle gardens, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town centre with the c ...
, Otrokovice
Otrokovice (; german: Otrokowitz) is a town in Zlín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 17,000 inhabitants. It is known as an industrial centre.
Administrative parts
The town part of Kvítkovice is an administrative ...
, Uherské Hradiště
Uherské Hradiště (; german: Ungarisch Hradisch, hu, Magyarhradis) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants. The agglomeration with the two neighbouring towns of Staré Město and Kunovice has over ...
and Hodonín
Hodonín (; german: Göding) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Hodonín is made up of only one administrative part.
Geography
Hodonín is located about southeast ...
. Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
, the second largest city of Czech Republic, lies within the river basin.[ The catchment area of the river has a population of 3,5 million people.][ Downstream from Hodonín, the river flows along sparsely inhabited, forested border area, all the way to its outfall into the Danube, just below the ]Devín Castle
Devín Castle ( sk, hrad Devín, links=no or , hu, Dévényi vár, german: Burg Theben) is a castle in Devín, which is a borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.
Description
The site has been settled since the Neolithic Age and fortifi ...
at the outskirts of the Slovak capital Bratislava
Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...
. After of its course, the Morava feeds the Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
by an average discharge rate of , gathered from a drainage area of .
The river's longest tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
by far is the ''Thaya
The Thaya ( cs, Dyje ) is a river in Central Europe, the longest tributary to the river Morava. Its drainage basin is . It is ( with its longest source river German Thaya) long and meanders from west to east in the border area between Lower Au ...
'' (in German) or ''Dyje'' (in Czech),[ flowing in at the ]tripoint
A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...
of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The confluence of Thaya and Morava is the southernmost and the lowest point of Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The me ...
. The biggest tributary from the left is ''Bečva
The Bečva (; german: Betschwa, also ''Betsch'', ''Beczwa'') is a river in the Czech Republic. It is a left tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A ...
''.
The Morava is a lowland river with a basin that consists to 51 percent of plain
In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...
s; mountains make up only seven percent of the basin while 35 percent are considered highland. The average slope of the river is 1.8‰ and at the confluence 4‰.[ The bedrock of the river basin is mostly crystalline bedrock and ]flysch
Flysch () is a sequence of sedimentary rock layers that progress from deep-water and turbidity flow deposits to shallow-water shales and sandstones. It is deposited when a deep basin forms rapidly on the continental side of a mountain building ep ...
.[
The Morava river is unusual in that it is a European ]blackwater river
A blackwater river is a type of river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. As vegetation decays, tannins leach into the water, making a transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling black te ...
.
Course of the river
Image:Pramen Moravy (1).JPG, The source of the Morava on Králický Sněžník
Králický Sněžník () or Śnieżnik (Polish: ) is a mountain in Eastern Bohemia, located on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland. With , it is the highest mountain of the Snieznik Mountains.
Etymology
The name ''Sněžník'' or ' ...
Image:DOE Devin.jpg, The confluence of the Morava and the Danube
Image:Kostel Českobratrské církve evangelické, Olomouc.jpg, Morava in Olomouc
Image:Zusammenfluss von March und Thaya, Dreiländereck AT-CZ-SK 01.jpg, Thaya
The Thaya ( cs, Dyje ) is a river in Central Europe, the longest tributary to the river Morava. Its drainage basin is . It is ( with its longest source river German Thaya) long and meanders from west to east in the border area between Lower Au ...
-Morava confluence - intersection of three borders, Austrian, Czech and Slovak
Ecology
The Morava river forms an important link between the Danube Valley and the plains of northern Europe
The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...
, for animals as well as, at least historically, for humans. Its weak slope across flat plains furthermore means that the river is prone to meander
A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex bank ...
and flood, creating vast floodplains
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
. Because of these reasons, the floodplains of the Morava river are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems in Europe.[ Its richness in plant and animal species (some 12,000 species have been identified) ranks it second in diversity only to the ]Danube Delta
The Danube Delta ( ro, Delta Dunării, ; uk, Дельта Дунаю, Deľta Dunaju, ) is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Ro ...
. During the 20th century however, large tracts of the river, especially downstream from Litovel
Litovel (; german: Littau) is a town in Olomouc District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 9,600 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
Administrative par ...
, have been regulated with the ensuing effect of loss of inundation areas (floodplains). Since the river basin is densely populated and, especially the Czech part, industrialised, the river also receives a lot of wastewater. Agriculture also contributes to spreading nitrogen
Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...
and other nutrients into the river. Nevertheless, the central part of the river has retained much of its natural character and in later years conscious efforts have been made to protect the nature and ecosystem of the river basin.[
]
Ecology of the river
Image:Morava's flooded forest 01.jpg, Flooded forest
Image:Frühlingshochwasser untere Marchauen.jpg, Flooded meadow
File:Angerner und Dürnkruter Marchschlingen 13.jpg, One of many oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...
s of the Morava
File:Tabule Oskovec II..JPG, Nature park Strážnické Pomoraví in Czech Republic, one of several protected natural areas along the Morava
See also
*March of Austria
The Margraviate of Austria (german: Markgrafschaft Österreich) was a medieval frontier march, centered along the river Danube, between the river Enns and the Vienna Woods (''Wienerwald''), within the territory of modern Austrian provinces of Up ...
*March of Moravia
The Margraviate of Moravia ( cs, Markrabství moravské; german: Markgrafschaft Mähren) was one of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown within the Holy Roman Empire existing from 1182 to 1918. It was officially administrated by a margrave in cooperat ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Austria–Slovakia border
Czech Republic–Slovakia border
International rivers of Europe
Moravia
Rivers of Lower Austria
Rivers of Slovakia
Rivers of the Olomouc Region
Rivers of the Pardubice Region
Rivers of the South Moravian Region
Rivers of the Zlín Region
Rivers of Austria
Border rivers