Danube River
By Brenna Bartell
Location
The Danube River runs through 10 different countries in Central and Southeastern Europe: Austria, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Croatia, Germany, Serbia, and Moldova. It starts in the Black Forest, in western Germany. It flows through four major cities: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade. It is approximately 1,777 miles long, and it's depth ranges from 2 feet to 30 feet.
Animal Life, Vegetation, and Water Type
The Danube River is a freshwater river that is home to over 5,000 different animal species, including pelicans, the glossy ibis, mollusks, and the European eel. Over 100 different species of fish including catfish, carp and caviar are only a few of examples of the life that lives in the Danube. It is home to 1,839 flora species, 678 algae species and 1,016 cormophytes.
Weather and Climate of the Danube
Because the Danube river is the second-longest river on the continent, you can imagine the wide variety of weather and climate, but most commonly, it is warm in the summers and has mild, cloudy winters. The average temperature ranges from 24 degrees Fahrenheit to 73 degrees Fahrenheit. The average rainfall around the Danube is 3 inches.
Human Characteristics
Along the shore of the Danube River, there are hiking and biking trails. The hiking trail runs about 600 miles along it, although the cycling trial runs the entire length of the river. Over 10 million people get their drinking water from the Danube. The river's cruises are very popular, ever since the 19th century. The languages used by the people living near it are: German, Slovak, Hungarian, Serbo-Croatian and Bulgarian, Romanian and Ukranian. The main religions along the Danube river is Christianity. The river is a huge tourist attraction, so the people who live along it make a living taking the tourists on cruises down the river, and fishing is also a huge way that the people living along the Danube make money. About 81 million people live along this important river, and 1/3 of that population is in Hungary. There are many bridges, cities, and buildings on the shore of the river, making it mildly polluted. The government in the countries the Danube runs through are: Representative Republic, Federal Republic, Constitutional Republic and Parliamentary Republic.
Bridge over the Danube in Budapest
Hungary Capital
Hatea Bridge
Natural Resources
The Danube River's natural resource is mainly it's water, which is used as drinking water for people living on or near the river. It is also important because without it, easy transportation and traffic would not be possible. Fish are also a big natural resource in the Danube. It is an important resource for industry, agriculture, transport and power generation.
Analysis
In conclusion, the Danube River is a very important physical feature of Europe for mainly two reasons: It's cruises and tourism. The way people live are impacted hugely by the river because of how navigable it is. Homes, buildings, and bridges all are right along the shore of the Danube. It runs through four very big and important cities in Europe- Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade and Bratislava. To the people, the Danube is key to their lives and how they live.