| Drin | |
|---|---|
 Drin delta flowing throughShkodër | |
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| Location | |
| Countries | |
| Region | Southern Europe |
| Cities | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | White Drin at Zhleb Mountains nearRadavc |
| • location | Kosovo,Peja District |
| 2nd source | Black Drin atLake Ohrid nearStruga |
| • location | North Macedonia,Struga Municipality |
| Source confluence | NearKukës |
| • location | Kukës County,Albania |
| Mouth | Large Drin:Buna Small Drin:Gulf of Drin |
• location | Large Drin:Shkodër County Small Drin:Lezhë County,Albania |
• elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Length | 285 km (177 mi)[1][A] |
| Basin size | 19,686 km2 (7,601 sq mi)[4] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | theriver mouth |
| • average | 352 m3/s (12,400 cu ft/s)[2] |
| • maximum | 1,800[3] m3/s (64,000 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Adriatic Sea |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Black Drin, Mirusha,Prizren, Toplluha |
| • right | White Drin,Sateska,Radika, Perro, Bushtrica,White Drin:Peja,Deçan,Erenik,Black Drin:Valbona,Shala,Kir, Mertur |
TheDrin (/driːn/;[5]Albanian:Drin[dɾin] orDrini[ˈdɾini];Macedonian:Дрим,romanized: Drim[drim]) is ariver inSoutheastern Europe with two majortributaries – theWhite Drin and theBlack Drin and twodistributaries – one discharging into theAdriatic Sea, in theGulf of Drin and the other into theBuna River. Itscatchment area extends acrossAlbania,Kosovo,Serbia,Greece,Montenegro andNorth Macedonia[6][7] and is home to more than 1.6 million people.[8] The river and its tributaries form theGulf of Drin, anocean basin that encompasses the northernAlbanian Adriatic Sea Coast.
At 285 kilometres (177 miles) long,[1][9][10] the Drin is thelongest river of Albania and its tributaries cross through both Kosovo and North Macedonia. Its northern tributary, the White Drin starts from thefoothills ofŽljeb, atWhite Drin Waterfall in west Kosovo, and flows generally south, whereas its southern tributary, the Black Drin originates fromOhrid lake in the town ofStruga, North Macedonia and flows north. Both tributaries'confluence occurs nearKukës in northeast Albania and Drin then flows westwards through theAlbanian Alps andDukagjin Highlands, where three successive dams were erected between 1960s and late 1980s, forming 3 large artificial lakes. The Drin then passesVau i Dejës and drains into theAdriatic Sea through its two distributaries in Buna river and west ofLezhë.
Located in theBalkan Peninsula at the crossroad ofEurope andAsia, the river basin's varied climate and topography have shaped a vast array offlora andfauna. In addition, it has been recognized as one of the most importantbiodiversity hotspots in Europe.[11][12] The Drin Delta is classified as anImportant Bird Area of international importance by designation under theBirdLife International Convention.[13]
The name of the river is recorded inAncient Greek asDrilon (Δρίλων) and inLatin asDrinus. The name is considered to be ofIllyrian origin.[14] The formDrin- has been evidenced byPliny the Elder (fl. 1st century AD) and is most likely primary. The ancient nameDrinus has undergone sound changes reaching the currentAlbanian formDrin through the evolution ofAlbanian sound changes.[15][14] TheMacedonian name of the river is Дрим,Drim.Homonym rivers areDrino between southern Albania and northwesternGreece, andDrina betweenBosnia and Herzegovina andSerbia.
After the confluence of its two tributaries, near the town ofKukës in the northeastAlbania, Drin flows west, passing through theAlbanian Alps andFierzë then upon reaching theDukagjini highlands, flowing then to the south through Apripë e Gurit, Toplanë, Dushman,Koman, Vjerdhë Mazrrek, Rragam, and Pale Lalej. AtVau i Dejës, it enters the low Shkodër Field and splits into two distributaries. One empties into theGulf of Drin into theAdriatic Sea southwest ofLezhë, forming the Mouth of Drin. The other empties into theBojana River near theRozafa Castle.
The Black Drin flows out from theLake Ohrid nearStruga through western North Macedonia and then eastern Albania. The White Drin originates from the Žljeb mountain, north of the town ofPeja in theMetohija region ofKosovo, and flows from there through to Albania.[16]
The basin encompasses the transboundary subbasins ofLake Shkodër (largest lake in Southern Europe),[17]Lake Ohrid (one of the mostancient lakes in the World),[18]Lake Prespa andSmall Prespa Lake and also the tributaries, namelyBlack Drin,White Drin andBojana River. All these subbasins and tributaries are home to numerous species ofmammals,vascular plants,insects,amphibians,fish andbirds.
Drin river contains the largest hydroelectric power station group in theBalkans regarding the installed capacity and reservoir capacity.[19] The Drin is extremely important for the Albanian economy, especially for its electrical production. The three largesthydropower facilities produce 70.6% of Albania's electricity (approx. 1400MW of total installed capacity). North Macedonia has built two hydropower plants – Globocica (42 MW) andSpilje Hydro Power Plant (84 MW) on the Black Drin.[20]
The artificialLake Fierza created by the dam at Fierzë is the largest artificial lake in Albania with its surface of 73 km2. The second largest artificial lake is also built on this river.Vau i Dejës lake has an area of 25 km2. Construction of the Fierza power station caused some controversy in the 1980s. Without reaching any agreement, the Albanian government ordered the reservoir to be filled with water, which flooded some border areas ofKosovo, then part ofYugoslavia. The Yugoslav government protested, but no solution was agreed on. Thus, today, Lake Fierza is shared by Albania and Kosovo.[citation needed]
The ancient name of the river wasDrilon. The valley of the river was inhabited by severalIllyrianpeoples. It was probably dominated at some point and to some extent by theEnchele.[21] The tribal territory of theTaulantii and of theLabeatae was most likely located near the river.[22]
It is simultaneously the longest river in the country, with a length of 285 km.
Prurja mesatare shumëvjeçare e Drinit të Zi është 118 m3/sek, e Drinit të Bardhë 68.8 m3/sek, e Drinit (në derdhje në Bunë) 352 m3/sek që i përgjigjet një vëllimi vjetor prej 11.1 miliardë m3 ujë.
Situated on the shores of Lake Ohrid, the town of Ohrid is one of the oldest human settlements in Europe; Lake Ohrid is a superlative natural phenomenon, providing refuge for numerous endemic and relict freshwater species of flora and fauna dating from the tertiary period. As a deep and ancient lake of tectonic origin, Lake Ohrid has existed continuously for approximately two to three million years.
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