Kama is one of the ten largest watercourses in Europe. The word “kam” itself can be translated from the Udmurt language as “big river”. Kama collects its waters from a vast area (520 thousand square kilometers). This territory is comparable in size to European countries such as France or Spain.
Many are interested in the question of where is the source of the river? Kama, according to geographical research, begins in Udmurtia and flows into the Volga Kuibyshev reservoir.
general characteristics
One of the largest rivers in Europe originates and flows within Russia. The total length of the Kama is 1805 km, and the area of its basin is about 520 000 square meters. km The river flows through five modern regions of the Russian Federation: Udmurtia, Kirov Region, Perm Territory, Bashkortostan and Tatarstan. On the banks of the Kama River, several large and famous cities of the country grew: Solikamsk, Perm, Naberezhnye Chelny and others.
Like any other flat river in Europe, Kama feeds mainly on rain and melt snow waters. Its channel freezes around mid-November, and opens in early April. The average water discharge in the mouth area is over 4000 cubic meters. At Kama, hydrologists counted about 75 thousand tributaries of different lengths.
The name of the river most likely comes from the Udmurt word “kam” (“big river”). From him, according to one of the theories, came the name of the Komi people.
Kama River: source and mouth
Kama has recently become increasingly the subject of controversy between Russian and foreign geographers. Not everyone agrees to consider it a tributary of the Volga. But more on that later. Consider where the source of the river is?
Kama originates from springs in the vicinity of the village of Kuliga, Kez district of the Udmurt Republic. In its upper reaches, the river is a small brook flowing through numerous fields and meadows. At first it flows strictly to the north, then changes its direction to the east, and then abruptly turns to the south. Gradually, Kama is gaining strength and becoming a very deep river.
The mouth of the Kama River in the middle of the last century was flooded by the waters of the large Kuibyshev reservoir.
The source of the Kama River is located at an altitude of 330 meters above sea level, and its mouth is at an altitude of 35 meters. Thus, the watercourse on its long journey is reduced by almost 300 meters. At the same time, the river slope is small and amounts to 0.11 m / km.
Kama or Volga: who is more important?
Which river in one or another river system can be considered the main one? It is rather difficult to answer this question. To determine the main river, not only the total length of the watercourses is taken into account, but also a number of other parameters:
- catchment area;
- water content of the river;
- number of tributaries;
- age of the river valley;
- source height, etc.
Even the color of the water in two rivers is taken into account, as well as the angle at which they merge.
If we take into account all of the above factors of hydrology, then it is Kama that will correctly be considered the main river in its river system. In other words, it is Kama, not the Volga, that flows into the Caspian Sea near Astrakhan.
Why did geographers make such a serious mistake? Here the main role was played by the historical and cultural factor. The Volga has long been almost the main natural symbol of Russia, its shrine. For Russians, this river is as sacred as the Dnieper for Ukrainians or the Ganges for Hindus. In addition, the economic importance of the Volga is much more significant than the level of development of the Kama.
By the way, this is far from the only case in the world when the main waterway is called the main one. Another similar example is the American Missouri and Mississippi rivers .
The source of the Kama River as a tourist attraction
In the Kez district of the Udmurt Republic, far from civilization, there is a small village of Kuliga. The settlement is known for its large community of Russian Old Believers. Another attraction of the village is natural. It is in the vicinity of Kuligi that the source of the Kama River is located.
“There, from a baby spring, the Kama River has grown!” - this is how the Permian poet Boris Shirshov described this place. Kama really starts from a spring. A powerful stream of cool and tasty water escapes from the iron pipe, and a small stream with a cheerful murmur rushes on its long way.
The source of the Kama River is ennobled and well-groomed. Nearby is a cozy square and a small stone stele with the corresponding inscription: “Here the Ural river Kama originates”. A tiny bridge is thrown across the channel nearby. Visiting tourists like to be photographed in this place, standing with their feet on two different banks of the great Russian river.
Conclusion
Kama is considered the largest tributary of the Volga. However, not all geographers agree with this wording. Some are sure that not the Kama flows into the Volga, but quite the opposite.
Where is the source of the river? Kama is born in Udmurtia, near the village of Kuliga, flows through the territory of five regions of Russia and flows into the Kuibyshev reservoir of the Volga, located near Kazan.