Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
, a right (the longest) tributary of the
Nevėžis
The Nevėžis (; ) is the List of rivers of Lithuania, sixth longest river in Lithuania and one of the main tributaries of the Neman (river), Nemunas. The long Nevėžis flows entirely within Lithuania.Kelmė district municipality
Kelmė (; ; Yiddish: קעלם) is a city in northwestern Lithuania, a historical region of Samogitia. It has a population of 8,206 and is the administrative center of the Kelmė District Municipality.
Name
Kelmė's name is likely derived from t ...
, 6 km (4 mi) southeast from
Tytuvėnai
Tytuvėnai () is a town in the Kelmė district municipality, Lithuania. It is located east of Kelmė. It is known for its Bernardine monastery.
History
The first church in the town was built in 1555. The construction of the monastery was initi ...
. The 134.6 km (83.6 mi) long river passes through Tytuvėnai and Sulinkiai Marshes and flows south through
Radviliškis district municipality
Radviliškis District Municipality () is one of the seven List of municipalities of Lithuania, municipalities of Šiauliai County (''Šiaulių apskritis'') in Lithuania. Radviliškis town has been its center since 1950.
Radviliškis district has ...
. Finally, Šušvė passes through
Kėdainiai district municipality
Kėdainiai () is one of the oldest List of cities in Lithuania, cities in Lithuania. It is located north of Lithuania's second largest city Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. Kėdainiai were first mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle ...
and flows into the
Nevėžis
The Nevėžis (; ) is the List of rivers of Lithuania, sixth longest river in Lithuania and one of the main tributaries of the Neman (river), Nemunas. The long Nevėžis flows entirely within Lithuania.Graužiai village.
The width of the river valley is between 0.5 and 3 km. From December to March Šušvė is usually frozen. Dams were built at Vaitiekūnai and Angiriai (
Angiriai Reservoir
The Angiriai Reservoir is an artificial lake in Kėdainiai District Municipality, central Lithuania. It is located north-west from Josvainiai town. It was created in 1980, when a dam on the Šušvė river had been built next to Angiriai
Angiri ...
). The
Šušvė Hydrological Sanctuary
Šušvė () is a river in central Lithuania, a right (the longest) tributary of the Nevėžis river. It begins in Kelmė district municipality, 6 km (4 mi) southeast from Tytuvėnai. The 134.6 km (83.6 mi) long river passes through Tytuv ...
was established in 1992 to protect the lower courses of the river.
The main towns and villages by the Šušvė river are
Šiaulėnai
Šiaulėnai is a town near Šiauliai in Lithuania located at . It is in the Radviliškis district municipality in Šiauliai County. It is the capital of Šiaulėnai elderate.
History
During the 1784 census, Šiaulėnai was located in the Žema ...
Grinkiškis
Grinkiškis (, , ''Grinkishok'') is a town in the Radviliškis District Municipality in Šiauliai County, Lithuania. It is situated on the Šušvė River. It is the seat of an eldership. According to the 2021 census, the town had a population of ...
Angiriai
Angiriai or Angeriai (meaning 'a place on woods', formerly , ) is a village in Kėdainiai district municipality, in Kaunas County, in central Lithuania. According to the 2011 census, the village had a population of 153 people. It is located from ...
,
Josvainiai
Josvainiai is a small town in Kėdainiai district, central Lithuania. It is located on the Šušvė River 10 km southwest from Kėdainiai. The town comprises the Catholic All Saints Church, a gymnasium, a post office, a public library, a st ...
.
Tributaries
The following rivers are tributaries to the river Šušvė (from source to mouth):
*Left: Šušvaitė, Beržutė, Malštovė, Beržė, Srautas, Krimslė, Paliūnys, Paupelys, Žiedupė;
*Right: Šėta, Upytė, Gomerta, Žadikė, Vedreikė, Miegotas,
Ažytė
The Ažytė is a river of Raseiniai district municipality and Kėdainiai district municipality, central Lithuania. It is a right-bank tributary of the Šušvė
Šušvė () is a river in central Lithuania, a right (the longest) tributary of the Ne ...
Liedas
The Liedas (or ''Leda'') is a river of Kėdainiai district municipality, Kaunas County, central Lithuania. It flows for 17.7 kilometres and has a basin area of 31.5 km².
It starts nearby Pelutava village and later flows through the Pernara ...
,
Lapskojis
The Lapskojis is a river of Kėdainiai district municipality, Kaunas County, central Lithuania. It flows for and has a basin area of . It is a right tributary of the Šušvė
Šušvė () is a river in central Lithuania, a right (the longest) tri ...
,
Vikšrupis
The Vikšrupis is a river of Kėdainiai district municipality, Kaunas County, central Lithuania. It flows for and has a basin area of . The river is a right tributary of the Šušvė.
It starts near Jakšiai village, then flows to the west thro ...
, Grinčiupys,
Putnupys
The Putnupys is a river of Kėdainiai district municipality, Kaunas County, central Lithuania. It flows for and has a basin area of . It originates in the Pernarava-Šaravai Forest, 3 km from Skaistgiriai village. The Putnupys flows to the sout ...
.
Etymology
The name ''Šušvė'' (or ''Šiušvė'') comes from the root ''šuš-'' as in Lithuanian verbs ''šiušinti, šiušėti, šiaušti''. All of them mean bouth 'to tousle' and onomatopoeicly allude to the sound of water. According to another interpretation, the name ''Šušvė'' is related to the Finno-Ugric hydronym ''Sosva''.Raymond Schmittlein. Toponymes finnois et germaniques en Lituanie. In: Onomastica. Paris, 1948. p. 97.