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Narew Нараў, Narevas
Braided channels of the Narew at Strękowa Góra
Narew as part of the Vistula watershed
Location
Country	Poland, Belarus
Voivodeships / Voblasts	Hrodna, Podlaskie, Mazovian
Physical characteristics
Source
- location	north-eastern part of the Białowieża Forest near Dzikie Bagno, Belarus
- coordinates	52°52′24.68″N 24°13′8.87″E / 52.8735222°N 24.2191306°E / 52.8735222; 24.2191306
- elevation	159 m (522 ft)
Mouth
- location	Modlin (Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki), Poland
- coordinates	52°26′N 20°41′E / 52.433°N 20.683°E / 52.433; 20.683Coordinates: 52°26′N 20°41′E / 52.433°N 20.683°E / 52.433; 20.683
- elevation	70.7 m (232 ft)
Length	499 km (310 mi)
Basin size	74,527 km2 (28,775 sq mi)
Discharge
- location	mouth
- average	313 m3/s (11,100 cu ft/s)
Discharge
- location	entering Pułtusk
- average	146 m3/s (5,200 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Vistula→ Baltic Sea

The Narew ([ˈnarɛf]; Belarusian: Нараў Naraŭ; Lithuanian: Narevas), in western Belarus and north-eastern Poland, is a right tributary of the Vistula River. The Narew is one of Europe's few braided rivers, the term relating to the twisted channels resembling braided hair.

Etymology

The name of the river comes from a Proto-Indo-European root *nr primarily associated with water (compare Narva, Neretva, Neris, Ner and Nur)^[1] or from a Lithuanian language verb nerti primarily associated with dive and flood.^[2]

Name of the lower portion

The portion of the river between the junctions with the Western Bug and the Vistula is also known as the Bugonarew, Narwio-Bug, Narwo-Bug, Bugo-Narew, Narwiobug or Narwobug. At the confluence near Zegrze the Bug is 1.6x longer, drains a 1.4x larger basin, and has a slightly higher average discharge (158 m³/s at Wyszków vs 146 m³/s at Pułtusk for the Narew, both ~25 km above the junction). Thus the Bugonarew was often considered part of the Bug river and the Narew a right tributary.

On December 27, 1962, Prime Minister Józef Cyrankiewicz abolished the name Bugonarew soon after the Zegrze Reservoir had been constructed.^[3] Since then the river is officially part of the Narew, and the Bug became a left tributary. The name Bugonarew however is continued to be used, especially by the inhabitants of local towns, such as Pułtusk.

Geography

The Narew flows through the geographical region of Europe known as the Wysoczyzny Podlasko – Bialoruskie (English: Podlasie and Belarus Plateau) located within the Podlaskie Voivodeship and Masovian Voivodeship of Poland and the Hrodna Voblast of Belarus.

The Narew is the fifth longest Polish river.

View from the road along Siemianówka reservoir near Bondary village, gmina Michałowo, Podlaskie voivodship, Poland

Cities and towns

Confluence of the Narew and Vistula at Modlin

The valley of the river Narew taken from the high river bank at Paulinowo-Dzbądz (close to city Różan)

Marshes on the braided channels of the Narew's floodplains, near Pańki and Rzędzian

Siemianówka reservoir near Bondary village, gmina Michałowo, podlaskie,Poland

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Narew.

Tributaries

The Narew near Łomża. The river flows slowly, creating meanders

History

On August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union and Germany signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, agreeing to divide Poland along the Narew, Vistula (Wisła), and San rivers.

On September 6, 1939, Polish military forces attempted to use the Narew as a defense line against German attack during the German invasion of Poland. This was abandoned the next day in favor of the Bug as German forces had already penetrated the defenses.

The Battle of Wizna was fought along the banks of the river between September 7 and September 10, 1939, between the forces of Poland and Germany during the initial stages of Invasion of Poland. Because it consisted of a small force holding a piece of fortified territory against a vastly larger invasion for three days at great cost before being annihilated with no known survivors, Wizna is sometimes referred to as a Polish Thermopylae in Polish culture.

On September 17, 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland. By 28 September, the Soviet Army had reached the line of the rivers Narew, Bug River, Vistula and San – completing the division of Poland as negotiated in advance.

See also

• Narew National Park


• Narew Landscape Park


• Rivers of Poland


• Geography of Poland

References

External links

• Natural tourism (birdwatching) in Narew National Park