DANUBE
RIVER – GEOGRAPHY
News:
Russia attacks grain facilities in Ukraine's Danube region
What's
in the news?
● Russia
overnight attacked with drones the south of Ukraine's southern Odessa and the
Danube River regions, a key area for grain exports, causing fires in grain
facilities.
Danube
River:
● The
Danube River flows through 10 countries
and is the second-longest river in
Europe, after the Volga in Russia.
● It
flows through much of Central and
Southeastern Europe.
Countries:
● Just
before emptying into the Black Sea, the Danube River travels 2850 kms from its
source, i.e., in Germany's Black Forest. Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Croatia,
Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine all stop along the Danube River.
Significance:
● The
Danube River has long been a vital trade
route for the nations it travels.
● It
has remained a vital route for transporting both people and goods.
● Numerous
dams along the Danube provide the region with electricity, making it a
tremendous hydroelectric power source.
● The
Danube River provides a great source of cultural and historical significance in
addition to its economic and environmental factors.
Port
of Ismail:
● The
port of Izmail, located across the Danube River from Romania, serves as an alternative route for grain exports since
Russia imposed a de-facto blockade on Ukraine's Black Sea ports in mid-July.
● Prior
to Russia's blockade, Ukraine's Danube River ports accounted for approximately
a quarter of grain exports.