Rhine

A map of the River Rhine

The Rhine River (German: Rhein, French: Rhin, Dutch: Rijn) is 1,230 km (764 mi) long. 883 km (549 mi) can be used by ships. It is one of the longest rivers in Europe. Its name comes from the Celtic word "renos". Renos means raging flow.

The Rhine is an important waterway. Many goods are transported over the Rhine, and the Rhine valley is also an important wine producing region. The river Rhine begins at Tomasee, a lake in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland,^[1] and runs through Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. It is also the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein and also the border between Germany and France. It runs through Basel, Bonn, Cologne and Duisburg. It also separates the cities of Mainz and Wiesbaden.

The river runs only into one lake on its way, this is Lake Constance that is on the border of Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

Along its banks are several notorious castles in which several men, known as robber barons lived. It was a quiet river, until the Industrial Revolution hit Europe, and factories set up along its banks and emptied all their waste into the River. The Salmon left and every living thing died. Then after World War II, the Rhine Action Programme was set up to boost the Rhine's wildlife and reduce the pollution there.

Together with the Danube it formed most of the northern frontier of the Roman Empire.