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| Nestos | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Native name | |
| Location | |
| Countries | Bulgaria andGreece |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Rila Mountains,Bulgaria |
| • coordinates | 42°07′10″N23°35′10″E / 42.11944°N 23.58611°E /42.11944; 23.58611 |
| • elevation | 2,240 m (7,350 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Aegean Sea oppositeThasos,Greece |
• coordinates | 40°50′51″N24°48′15″E / 40.84750°N 24.80417°E /40.84750; 24.80417 |
| Length | 230 km (140 mi) |
| Basin size | 5,184 km2 (2,002 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Hadzhidimovo, Bulgaria |
| • average | 29.85 m3/s (1,054 cu ft/s) |
TheNestos (Greek:Νέστος[ˈnes̠tos̠]) or theMesta (Bulgarian:Ме́ста[ˈmɛstɐ]) is a river inBulgaria andGreece. It rises in theRila Mountains and flows into theAegean Sea near the island ofThasos. It plunges down towering canyons toward the Aegean Sea through mostly metamorphic formations. At the end, the main stream spreads over the coastal plain ofChrysoupolis and expands as adeltaic system withfreshwater lakes and ponds forming the Nestos delta. The length of theriver is 230 km (140 mi), of which 126 km (78 mi) flow throughBulgaria[1] and the rest inGreece. Its drainage area is 5,184 km2 (2,002 sq mi), of which 66% is in Bulgaria.[2] It forms some gorges inRila andPirin. The longest gorge between Pirin to the west and theRhodope Mountains to the east is the 25-km longMomina Klisura in Bulgaria.
The Mesta's longest tributary is theDospat (or Despatis). The banks of the river are covered mainly by deciduous trees that extend into halfway between Bulgaria and Greece where it forms the modern boundary ofGreek Macedonia andThrace, as well as the boundary between theKavala and theXanthi regional units, having first crossed theDrama regional unit. The river later forms a delta to the north where swamplands, wetlands and a lagoon once existed except in the east.
In theGeography of ClaudiusPtolemy, the river is referred to as Nestus (Νέστος), and is said to form the boundary between ancient Macedonia and Thrace.[3]
Because of its flow betweencanyons and inaccessiblemountain areas, Nestos was not navigable in antiquity and also did not offer a natural terrestrial road along theriverbed. Concerning the horizontal communication from the East to the West, the river had only two passes, one in the middle and the other in the lower watercourse, which were controlled respectively by the cities ofNicopolis and Topeiros. The first pass, near Nicopolis, allowed the communication between the valleys of the riversStrymon andHebros (Evros), while through the second pass, near Topeiros, passed an ancient road (and later theRoman road ofVia Egnatia) that served the communication between the East and the West. In Nestos' valley (east bank) north of the south pass, theDii used to live, whileSatrae were living to the south. Finally, Nestos played an important role in theurban and economic history of the inhabitants of theestuary, where the city ofAbdera and laterTopeiros, founded by the EmperorTrajan. This is presumed by the deification of the river and its depiction oncoins of the imperial period.[4]
Mesta Peak onLivingston Island in theSouth Shetland Islands,Antarctica is named afterMesta River.
