Volga is one of the important rivers of the world. It carries its waters through the European part of Russia and flows into the Caspian Sea. The industrial significance of the river is great, 8 hydroelectric power stations are built on it, shipping and fishing are well developed. In the 1980s, a bridge was built across the Volga, which is considered the longest in Russia. Its total length from source to mouth is about 3,600 km. But due to the fact that it is not customary to take into account those places that belong to reservoirs, the official length of the Volga River is 3530 km. Among all the water flows in Europe, it is the longest. It hosts such large cities as Volgograd, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan. The part of Russia that adjoins the country's central artery is called the Volga region. A little more than 1 million km 2 is the river basin. Volga occupies a third of the European part of the Russian Federation.
Briefly about the river
The Volga is fed by snow, groundwater and rainwater. It is characterized by spring floods and autumn floods, as well as low water content in summer and winter.
The Volga River freezes , the source and mouth of which are covered with ice almost simultaneously, in October-November, and in March-April it begins to thaw.
Earlier, in ancient centuries, it was called Ra. Already in the Middle Ages there were references to the Volga under the name Itil. The current name of the water stream comes from the word in the Proto-Slavic language, which is translated into Russian as “moisture”. There are also other versions of the emergence of the name Volga, but to confirm or refute them is not yet possible.
The source of the Volga
The Volga, the source of which originates in the Tver region, begins at an altitude of 230 m. In the village of Volgoverkhovye there are several springs that have been combined into a reservoir. One of them is the beginning of the river. In its upper reaches, it flows through small lakes, and after a few meters passes already through the Upper Volga (Peno, Vselug, Volgo and Sterzh), currently united in the reservoir.
The tiny swamp, which with its appearance is unlikely to attract tourists, is the source of the Volga. The map, even the most accurate, will not have specific data on the beginning of the water flow.
The mouth of the Volga
The mouth of the Volga is the Caspian Sea. It is divided into hundreds of arms, due to which a wide delta is formed, the area of which is about 19,000 km 2 . Due to the large amount of water resources, this area is the richest in plants and animals. The fact that the mouth of the river ranks first in the world in the number of sturgeons already speaks volumes. This river has a sufficient impact on climatic conditions, which have a beneficial effect on the flora and fauna, as well as on humans. The nature of the area is fascinating and helps to have a good time. Fishing is best from April to November. Weather and the number of species of fish will never allow you to return empty-handed.
Vegetable world
The following types of plants grow in the waters of the Volga:
- amphibians (gander, reed, cattail, lotus);
- water immersed (mollusk, hornwort, elodea, buttercup);
- water with floating leaves (water lily, duckweed, rdest, walnut);
- seaweed (hari, cladofora, hara).
The largest number of plants is represented at the mouth of the Volga. Most often there are sedge, wormwood, rest, euphorbia, solyanka, astragalus. Wormwood, sorrel, reedweed and bedstraw grow in large quantities in the meadows.
A river delta called the Volga, whose source is also not very rich in plants, has 500 different species. Sedge, spurge, marshmallow, wormwood and mint are not uncommon here. You can find thickets of blackberries and reeds. Meadows grow on the banks of the water stream. Stripes are the forest. Of the trees, willow, ash and poplar are most often found.
Animal world
Volga is rich in fish. Many aquatic animals live in it, differing from each other in their mode of existence. In total, there are about 70 species, of which 40 are commercial. One of the smallest fish in the pool is a button whose length does not exceed 3 cm. It can even be confused with a tadpole. But the largest - beluga. Its dimensions can reach 4 m. It is a legendary fish: it can live up to 100 years and weigh more than 1 ton. The most important are roach, catfish, pike, sterlet, common carp, zander, sturgeon, bream. Such wealth not only provides products to nearby areas, but also successfully exported to other countries.
Sterlet, pike, bream, common carp, catfish, ruff, perch, burbot, asp, all these fish live in the inlet stream, and the Volga River is considered to be their permanent place of residence. The source, unfortunately, cannot boast of such a rich variety. In places where the water flow is calm and has a shallow depth, the southern stickleback is the only representative of the stickleback. And in those areas where the Volga has the most vegetation, you can find carp, preferring quiet waters. Stellate sturgeon, herring, sturgeon, lamprey, beluga come into the river from the Caspian Sea. Since ancient times, the river is considered the best for fishing.
You can also find frogs, birds, insects and snakes. Curly pelicans, pheasants, white herons, swans and white-tailed eagles are very often located on the shores. All of these representatives are quite rare and are listed in the Red Book. There are many protected areas on the banks of the Volga, they help protect rare species of animals from extinction. Geese, ducks, teal and mallard nest here. Wild boars live in the Volga Delta , and saigas live in the nearby steppes. Very often at the seaside you can meet Caspian seals, which are quite freely located near the water.
The importance of the Volga for Russia
The Volga, whose source is located in the village of the Tver region, flows throughout Russia. By its waterway, the river connects to the Baltic, Azov, Black and White Seas, as well as the Tikhvin and Vyshnevolotsky systems. In the Volga basin, you can find large forests, as well as rich adjacent fields, sown with various technical and grain crops. The lands in these areas are fertile, which contributed to the development of gardening and melon growing. It should be clarified that there are gas and oil deposits in the Volga-Ural zone, and salt deposits near Solikamsk and the Volga region.
One cannot argue that the Volga has a great and rich history. She is a participant in many important political events. And it also plays a huge economic role, being the main waterway of Russia, thereby combining several regions into one. It houses administrative and industrial centers, several millionaire cities. That is why this water stream is called the great Russian river.