| Vjosa Αώος (Aoös) | |
|---|---|
 Mouth of Vjosa discharging into the Adriatic | |
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| Location | |
| Countries | Albania andGreece |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Pindus, Greece |
| Mouth | |
• location | Adriatic Sea, Albania |
• coordinates | 40°38′34″N19°19′2″E / 40.64278°N 19.31722°E /40.64278; 19.31722 |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 272 kilometres (169 mi) |
| Basin size | 6,706 km2 (2,589 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 195 m3/s (6,900 cu ft/s) |
TheVjosa (Albanian:[ˈvjɔsa]; indefinite form:Vjosë) orAoös (Greek:Αώος) is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania. Its total length is about 272 kilometres (169 mi),[1] of which the first 80 kilometres (50 mi) are in Greece, and the remaining 192 kilometres (119 mi) in Albania.[2] Its drainage basin is 6,706 km2 (2,589 sq mi) and its average discharge is 195 m3/s (6,900 cu ft/s).[1] The main tributaries areVoidomatis,Sarantaporos,Drino andShushicë.
The river arises in thePindus mountains ofEpirus, Greece, and generally flows northwest. It enters Albania nearÇarshovë, and empties into theAdriatic Sea just north ofVlorë. Generally wild and unpolluted, the river is surrounded by theVikos–Aoös National Park in Greece, and theVjosa-Narta Protected Landscape near its mouth. In December 2020, the Albanian portion of the river was designated a "Managed Nature Reserve" by the government. A campaign by the environmentalist groups to designate the whole Albanian part of the course a national park, to guard against the prospective hydroelectric projects, ultimately resulted in the creation of theVjosa Wild River National Park on 15 March 2023.[3][4][5][6]
The Vjosa is known by a number of different names. In antiquity it was calledAoös (Ἄωος, Ἀῶος, Ἀῷος) inGreek (e.g. in Eratosthenes' Geography[7]), andAous inLatin. In Albanian it is calledVjosë orVjosa, while in Greece it is known by its ancient name (Αώος in modern orthography), in medieval Latin maps was calledViossa as well asVovousa (Βοβούσα) orAias (Αίας, Αἴας).[8] In Greek it is also known as Βοϊούσα (Voioussa, pronounced vo-i-usa), especially in pre-20th century texts.[9][10] According to historian Ap. Vakalopoulos (1977) the name Voioussa is the common Greek name of Aoos.[11]
Vjosa is also a common female Albanian given name.[12][13][14]
The river arises in thePindus mountains ofEpirus, Greece, near the village ofVovousa.[15][16] An artificial lake has been constructed at an elevation of 1,350 metres (4,430 ft),[17] where a hydroelectric dam has been in place since 1987. It flows through the canyons ofVikos–Aoös National Park, and then through the town ofKonitsa, where it is joined by theVoidomatis. It enters Albania nearÇarshovë, where it is joined by theSarantaporos, and then continues northwest throughPërmet,Këlcyrë, andTepelenë (where it is joined by theDrino),Memaliaj,Selenicë andNovoselë. It then flows into theAdriatic Sea northwest ofVlorë. The river's mouth is located within the boundaries of theVjosa-Narta Protected Landscape. In December 2020, the Albanian portion of the Vjosa was designated a "Managed Nature Reserve" by the government.[18]
The main tributaries of Vjosa are theSarantaporos andVoidomatis in Greece, and theDrino andShushicë in Albania.
The main cities and towns along the river are, in downstream order,Vovousa andKonitsa in Greece; andÇarshovë,Përmet,Këlcyrë,Tepelenë,Memaliaj,Selenicë andNovoselë in Albania.
The valley of the Vjosa has provided one of the most important natural routes between the mountainous interior ofEpirus into southernIllyria and towards theAdriatic Sea. This natural route must have been used for millennia, and continues to be used to the present day.[19]Hecataeus (550–476 BC) refers to the river asAias (Ancient Greek:Αἴας), the nameAnios (Ἄνιος) is used byPlutarch inCaesar,[20] whilePolybius,Livy andStrabo use the termAoös.
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In ancient times the upper course of the river was situated in Epirus, and the lower course in Illyria.[21][22][23] Together with theCeraunian Mountains the first part of the river up to aroundTepelenë marked the boundary between the classical regions of Illyria and Epirus, and between theRoman provinces ofEpirus Nova andEpirus Vetus.[21][22][23][24][25] The lower valley was inhabited by the indigenous tribes ofBylliones on the right shore andAmantes on the left shore.[21][22][26] Starting from mid-7th century BCE the southern Illyrian area of the lower Aoos experienced the emergence of proto-urban centers, including the fortifications ofKutë,Klos,Mashkjezë,Margëlliç andStrum on the right shore, and those ofAmantia,Mavrovë andTreport on the left shore.[27]
Apollonia in Illyria was founded on the right bank near the mouth of the river around 600 BC byGreek colonists fromCorinth and possiblyCorcyra, who established a trading settlement on a largely abandoned coastal site by invitation of the localIllyrians.[28][29][30] It developed into an independentpolis, and thrived throughout classical antiquity becoming one of the most important urban centres in the wider region, perhaps representing the most important ofthe several classical towns of the same name. TheThesprotian tribe ofParauaioi received their name from the river, as those living beside it.[citation needed]Pausanias writes of "sharks"[31] (Greek:θηρία) in the river, as it flows throughThesprotia. It is mentioned asAvos (Greek:Αύος) byStephanus of Byzantium[32] in the sixth century AD.
In 274 BCPyrrhus of EpirusdefeatedAntigonus II Gonatas near the river's banks. In 198 BC,Philip V of Macedon and the RomanTitus Quinctius Flamininus, clashed in theBattle of the Aous. In 170 BC a plot to kidnapAulus Hostilius Mancinus was foiled byMolossians by mistake.[33]
TheVikos–Aoös National Park (Greek:Εθνικός Δρυμός Βίκου–ΑώουEthnikós Drymós Víkou–Aóou), created in 1973, is anational park inEpirus in northwestern Greece andUNESCO Geopark. The national park encompasses 126 square kilometres (31,135 acres) of mountainous terrain, with numerous rivers, lakes, caves, canyons, and coniferous and deciduous forest. The core of the 3,400 hectare park[34] is theVikos Gorge, carved by the Voidomatis River, while the Aoos Gorge, MountTymfi, with its highest peak, Gamila, at 2,497 metres (8,192 ft), and a number of settlements forming the park's peripheral zone.
In February 2005, the Albanian government made the Vjose-Narte wetlands a protected area. This legislation followed Albania's ratification of theKyoto Protocol in December 2004. The river contributes water to the Vjosë-Levan-Fier irrigation canal, a canal that was built in the 1950s to irrigate theMyzeqe. In December 2020, the Albanian portion of the river was designated a "Managed Nature Reserve" by the Albanian government.[18]
The Vjosa's potential for hydropower has attracted developers to submit proposal to planning authorities for dam projects along the river and its tributaries. By 2017, over 2000 dam projects had gained governmental approval on stretches of river throughout the Balkans, including the Vjosa's channel.[35] Developers have met with opposition from European nature organisations including RiverWatch,EuroNatur,[36] andEcoAlbania.[37]
A 2012 study assessed the hydromorphology of the Balkan's rivers, taking into account the structural status of 35,000 river kilometres. The study showed that the region's rivers are largely intact, with 30% deemed pristine and 50% slightly modified.[38]
In February 2020, a campaign to elevate the status of the Vjosa watershed to Vjosa National Park gained approval from 20 environmental groups under the leadership of EcoAlbania. The effort to create Europe's first wild river park and save 300 km of rivers and streams targeted several projects identified in a February 2021 proposal.[39]
In September 2020, Albanian prime ministerEdi Rama announced that a protected area will be created around the Vjosa. In December 2020, the Albanian government designated the Vjosa River as a "Managed Nature Reserve" or nature park.[18] Environmental groups are skeptical of the level of protection afforded by "protected" status. A national park designation would prohibit hydroelectric projects, airports, and other development; a protected area designation would not.[2]
In April 2021 a petition signed by Vjosa River scientists was delivered to Albanian presidentIlir Meta.[40] The scientists immediate concern is a plan by a Turkish-Albanian venture,Ayen ALB, to build a 50-metre high hydroelectric dam. It would be the first development to change the course of Albania's 200 kilometre portion of the river. The dam would flood areas populated with the 1,175 animal and plant species—some endangered. It would inundate farmland, destroy the river's fishery, and force thousands from their homes. Activists maintain that the government should focus on other less damaging renewable energy sources.[2]
On 15 March 2023, the Vjosa River became a protected national park under the name of theVjosa Wild River National Park.[41]
The late Roman province of Epirus Vetus covered an area that roughly approximates to the Epirus of classical antiquity, a region now divided between the modern states of Greece and Albania (Fig. 1.1). It stretched from the Akrokeraunian mountains (south of the Gulf of Aulon) in the north, to the mouth of the Acheloos river in the south and included the islands of Kerkyra, Leukas and Ithaca. The principal geographical features of Epirus Vetus are the... [...] The five main rivers of Epirus Vetus (the Aoos, the Kalamas, the Acheron, the Arachthos and the Acheloos), together with their various tributaries, have carved their way between the mountain ranges, their valleys and gorges forming both aids and barriers to communication. It seems probable that from its source until a point around Tepelenë, the Aoos may have defined the boundary of Epirus Vetus, before passing into Epirus Nova.
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