Rivers in Greece Mary Daliani Teachers in charge: Lykoyrgiotis George, Pertsinidou Corinna
The rivers of ancient Greece were revered as deities since they provided the country with drinking water - a much coveted natural resource despite the country's proximity to the seas. The fertile river basins yielded crops that were used for trade and food. The landscapes of Greece were beautiful because of these rivers and the ancients believed that their Gods and Goddesses resided on earth because of its beauty.
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The morphometric characteristics of the ydrographic net in Greece are mainly controlled by: the country small size, which does not leave enough space for a river to develop in large length the geomorphology and the location of mountains and especially the linear elongated mountain range of Pindos that extends from north to south as an extension of the Albanian Alps forming the end of Deinaridon ridges, dividing the country in two parts, the rainfall distribution the climate.
Generally rivers of Greece are small in length, with larges seasonal variations in supply, with many meanders (turns), steep banks, crossing deep canyons, and creating beautiful landscapes.
Most of them have their springs on the ridge of Pindos and move westward. Among them, Aliakmon, Pinios, Acheloos, Kalamas and Arahthos, as Pindos blocks the rain- carrier westerly winds forcing them to discharge their water load on the west side of the mountain making eastern Greece arid and dry. The rivers of Evros and Nestos have their sources in Bulgaria. In the Peloponnese are the rivers of Alfios and Eurotas with their sources in the Taygetos Mountains.
Nestos rises in the Rila Mountains of Bulgaria and enters Greece. Nestos is considered the natural boundary between Thrace and Greek Macedonia. In all the Nestos is about 142 miles long and empties its waters into the Aegean Sea near Thasos. The Dospat River forms its longest tributary.
Haliacmon, often referred to as Aliakmon or Aliakmonas is the longest river of Greece and runs a 200 mile course through the country. Rising in the Pindus Mountains in the Greco - Albanian border, the river flows south east through the prefectures of Kastoria, Grevena, Kozani, Imathia, and Pieria before draining into the Thermaic Gulf. The river forms and feeds Lake Kastoria.
The Achelous is another major river that flows through Greece. The Achelous is also called the Thoas or the Thestios. With its origin in the ancient region of Acarnania, the river drains into the Ionian Sea after running a course of about 134 miles.
The 134 mile long River Pineios originates in the Pindus Mountains and drains into the Aegean Sea near Syomio. The Pineios valley is a rich and fertile region and many important cities such as Larissa, Kalabaka and Trikala lie on the banks of the Pineios and its tributary, the Lithaios.
The Eurotas, also called the Evrotas, flows mainly through the Laconia prefecture and is one of the most important rivers of the Peloponnese. The Eurotas is fed by the springs in Laconia, Arcadia, and Pellana. The river runs about 51 miles through Greece and drains into the Laconian Gulf.