The Dniester (Ukrainian: Дністер, translit. Dnister; Romanian: Nistru) is a river in Eastern Europe.
| Dniester | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | Black Sea |
| Length | 1,362 km (846 mi) |
Geography
It rises in Ukraine, near Drohobych close to the border with Poland, and flows toward the Black Sea. For a short while it marks the border of Ukraine and Moldova, after which it separates Moldova and Transnistria for 398 km. It leaves this region and becomes the Moldova-Ukraine border again, then flows through Ukraine to the Black Sea, where its estuary forms the Dniester Liman.
In its lower half, the western bank is high and hilly while the eastern one is low and flat. The river represents the de facto end of the Asian steppe. Its most important tributaries are Răut and Bîc.
Before World War II the Dniester formed part of the boundary between Romania and the Soviet Union. During the war, battles were fought on the left bank of the river between German and Romanian forces against Soviet troops.
Tributaries
The Stryi River is one of its tributaries.
Names
The name Dniester derives from Sarmatian *Dānu nazdya "the river to the front".[1] The older name, Tyras, is from Scythian, meaning "rapid".
In Russian, it is known as Днестр, translit. Dnestr, in Yiddish: Nester - נעסטער; in Turkish, Turla and during antiquity, it was called Tyras in Latin and Danastris in Greek. Classical authors have also referred to it as Danaster.
Notes
- ^ Mallory, J.P. and Victor H. Mair. The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West. London: Thames & Hudson, 2000. p. 106
External links
- Dniester watershed resource maps (PDF) - Land cover and use variables, basin indicators, biodiversity information and indicators.
- Dniester.org
- Dniester photo gallery