What is the hydrology of Europe?
Europe is surrounded by seas and oceans, like the Mediterranean Sea and the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean. Most rivers in Europe are long and navigable.
Mediterranean Sea |
Arctic Ocean |
Atlantic Ocean |
Navigable river |
The Arctic and the Atlantic drainage basins have long rivers that flow over flat
terrain. The rivers in the Arctic Ocean Basin are large and irregular, and some,
like the Pechora, freeze in winter. Rivers in the Atlantic Ocean Basin are large
and regular, like the Seine, and often have broad estuaries.
Pechora |
Seine |
The Mediterranean drainage basins and the rivers that flow into them, like the
Po, are narrow. These rivers are irregular and their sources are high up in the
mountains.
Po river in Venice (Italy) |
Po river in Venice (Italy) |
Europe also has inland drainage basins, like the Caspian Sea. Rivers here cross
the East European Plain and are long, like the Volga, which is Europe’s longest
river. They are only navigable in summer, because they freeze in winter.
Where are the main lakes in Europe?
Around 77 000 km2 of Europe is covered by lakes.
Lake Bled |
Lake Como |
European lakes are grouped
according to their location.
Northern lakes cover large areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. Southern lakes are small and shallow, like Lake Albufera in Valencia.
Alpine lakes are located in the Alps, in Switzerland and in the north of Italy.
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