TheLatin nameDurius might have been aCeltic name before the overwhelming Romanization of Iberia. If so, theCeltic root could have been*dubro- (in that family of languages the final vowel sound often changes with context, as in Latin).[6] However, were that the case, the -b-, of which there remains no trace, would not have disappeared, as evidenced by place-names derived fromGaulish*dubron (pluraldubra), such as FrenchDouvres and EnglishDover (3rd/4th-centuryDubris;Douvres in French), Spanish Dobra, GermanTauber (Dubra-gave 807), and Gaelic/Old Irishdobur "water" and river nameDobhar in Ireland and Scotland.[7] ModernWelshdŵr "water" is cognate with modernBretondour and Cornishdur "water" and results from a later typical Brittonic evolution of*dubro-,[7] unknown in theContinental Celtic languages.
The Dourovinhateiro (vine-land) of theDouro Valley in Portugal, long devoted tovineyards, has been designated by UNESCO as aWorld Heritage Site. The wine was taken downriver in flat-bottom boats calledrabelos, to be stored in barrels in cellars inVila Nova de Gaia, just across the river fromPorto. Nowadaysport is transported there in tanker trucks.
In the 1960s and 1970s,dams with locks were built along the river, allowing river traffic into the upper regions in Spain and along the border.
In 1998,Portugal and Spain signed the Albufeira Convention, an agreement on the sharing oftrans-boundary rivers to include the Douro,Tagus andGuadiana. The convention superseded an agreement on the Douro, signed in 1927, that was expanded in 1964 and 1968 to include tributaries.[11]
A SPOT Satellite image of the Douro RiverProfile of the Douro River, from its source in the mountains of theSistema Ibérico to Foz do Douro
It is the third-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula after theTagus andEbro. Its total length is 897 kilometres (557 mi),[12] of which only sections of the Portuguese section, being below a fall/rapids line, are naturally navigable, by modest rivercraft.[13] The Douro River basin encompasses an area of approximately 97,290 square kilometres.[14]
The most important tributaries in this region are thePisuerga, passing throughValladolid, and theEsla, which passes throughZamora. This region is generally semi-arid plains, withwheat and in some places, especially nearAranda de Duero, withvineyards, in theRibera del Duero wine region.Sheep rearing is also still important.
The Douro fully enters Portuguese territory just after the confluence with theÁgueda River; once the Douro enters Portugal, major population centres are less frequent along the river. Except forPorto andVila Nova de Gaia at the river mouth, the only population centres of any note are Foz do Tua, Pinhão andPeso da Régua. Tributaries here are small, merging into the Douro along the canyons; the most important areCôa,Tua,Sabor,Corgo,Tavora,Paiva,Tâmega, andSousa. None of these small, fast-flowing rivers is navigable.
The Ribeira (meaning riverside). Its tall, colourful-building terraces is the main part of the river bank in the major city of Porto; it attracts numerous tourists
These reaches of the Douro have amesoclimate[specify] allowing for cultivation ofolives,almonds, and especiallygrapes, which are important for makingport. The region around Pinhão andSão João da Pesqueira is considered to be the centre of port, with itsquintas (or farms/estates) that extend along the steep slopes of the river valleys. In the 21st century, many of these are owned by multinational, reputed wine companies.
Recently, a prosperoustourist industry has developed based on river excursions from Porto to points along the Upper Douro valley.
TheDouro railway line (Linha do Douro) was completed in 1887; it connects Porto, Rio Tinto, Ermesinde, Valongo, Paredes, Penafiel, Livração, Marco de Canaveses, Régua, Tua and Pocinho.
The Douro's last five dams are in Portugal, and allow for navigation:Pocinho,Valeira,Régua,Carrapatelo, andCrestuma–Lever dams. Vessels with a maximum length of 83 metres (272 ft) and width of 11.4 metres (37 ft) can pass through the fivelocks. The highest lock, at Carrapatelo Dam, has a maximum lift of 35 metres (115 ft). The waters of Pocinho lake reach 125 metres (410 ft) above sea level. Unannounced releases of water from upstream Spanish dams occasionally causes navigation issues in these locks.
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