Geography of Serbia

Serbia is a landlocked country on the Balkan peninsula in south-east of the European continent. [Note 1]

Confines

The country has in the north shares a border with Hungary ( the border runs through the Pannonian lowlands ), in the northeast on Romania ( partly along the Danube ), in the southeast it has ( partially over the Stara Planina ) a common border with Bulgaria. To the south it borders ( partially over the Šar Planina ) in Macedonia, in the southwest (mainly over the mountains Prokletija ) in Albania and Montenegro. In the West Serbia borders (mainly on the Drina along ) to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the northwest, finally, the Republic of the border shares (mostly along the Danube ) with Croatia.

Serbia borders directly on seven neighboring countries and thus has more than any other country in the region in a very central position in Southeastern Europe.

The borders of Serbia extend to a total length of 2155 km. Of this, 252 km on Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 312 km, 476 km on Romania, 151 km in Hungary, 318 km to Bulgaria, 221 km to 203 km on Macedonia and Montenegro.

Natural borders of Serbia, the Danube in the north- west ( to Croatia) and the east ( to Romania), the Drina in the West ( Bosnia and Herzegovina), the Stara Planina in the east ( Bulgaria), the Šar Planina in the south ( to Macedonia) that Peštagebirge to Montenegro and the Prokletija in the southwest ( to Albania).

The border between Serbia and Croatia is controversial since the collapse of Yugoslavia. The boundary lines to Macedonia and along the Drina to Bosnia and Herzegovina are also unclear. However, these disputed areas are relatively small and mostly uninhabited, so these issues are now put on hold.

On the border with Romania, the Danube forms the 253 km ² large Djerdapsee. 163 km ² water surface of Djerdapsees attributable to Serbian territory.

Topography

The relief of Serbia is varied and diverse. The northern Serbia dominates the wide and fertile Pannonian Plain. It is drained by the river Tisza and the Danube, which distinguish it together with the Save the South. The only mountain range that runs through the flat Vojvodina is Fruska Gora (511 m) in Srem, between the Danube and Sava rivers. To the east is located at a height of 641 m, the highest point of the Pannonian Plain, the Gudurički vrh, an offshoot of the Carpathians.

South of the Danube-Sava line connects to the zentralserbische hills of Šumadija. In the south-central highlands of Serbia close to the hills. In the extreme southwest ( Prokletija and Šar Planina ) and the east ( Stara Planina ) in the country reach the mountain summit altitudes above 2000 m (some 2,500 meters ). The highest peak of Serbia, the 2656 m high Đeravica, located in the border triangle of Serbia - Montenegro - Albania. The 28 m above sea level Serbia lowest point lies at the mouth of the Timok into the Danube ( the triangle Serbia - Bulgaria - Romania). The Mountains of Serbia are crossed by numerous canyons. One of them is the Iron Gate on the Danube, which separates the Carpathians in the north of the Balkan Mountains in the south.

Hydrography

The rivers of Serbia consists of three basins, which are the Black Sea, the Adriatic and the Aegean tributary. Here are more than 90 % of the rivers in the catchment area of the Danube. Only in the southeast drained the Pčinja to the Aegean Sea and to the southwest of the Beli Drim ( White Drim ) to the Adriatic Sea. On the mountain range of the Crnoljeva the hydrographic boundary is located between the drainage areas of the Adriatic, Aegean and Black Seas. From the highest point of the Drmanska glava ( 1,367 m) These two rivers on the White Drim in the Adriatic Sea, on the Sitnica and Ibar in the Black Sea and on the tributaries of the Lepenac the Vardar and in the Aegean Sea. Through a hydrographic feature, the Nerodimka drained in the catchment system of Sitnica in Kosovo through a bifurcation even in two oceans.

The lowlands of Vojvodina represents the largest hydrographic node in Europe dar. Here fall flows from the Alps, Central Europe, Dinarides and Carpathians together. With Drau ( on the Croatian side ), Tisza, Sava and Danube rivers, all navigable rivers of South Eastern Europe meet in Vojvodina. The previously strong flood-prone region is no longer threatened by the major project of the Danube -Tisa -Danube Canal and lowering of the water table today.

The rivers of Serbia are in the north to the strong meandering lowland streams of the mighty Danube Lowland, in the central, western and eastern area of the mountain rivers of the Dinaric Alps and Carpathians, and Kosovo to the small lowland rivers.

Throughout navigable only Sava, Tisza and Danube, but also to sections at the mouths of the Drina and the Great Morava and the numerous large reservoirs.

The formerly widespread rafting on Drina and Morava is set since the 1960s.

In particular, the mountain rivers often composed of carbonates and especially limestones Dinarides are characterized by numerous canyon -rich stretches that involve significant traffic obstacles from. Even the Danube introduced until the beginning of the 20th century in the Carpathian breakdown of the Iron Gate by rapids and blockages in Veliki Kazan, a considerable obstacle to the navigation dar.

The rivers of the mountains belong to the rain and snow regimes, the Sava and Danube to the combined systems ( snow, rain, glacier melt water ( only Danube River ) ). The highs in the effluent are measured for Drina and Morava Great in April, for the Danube in May.

Floods are frequent and very often disastrous in particular on the Drina and Morava. So the Drina reached on March 27, 1896 a historic maximum outflow of about 9,000 m³ / s The risk of flooding on the Drina, in spite of the numerous regulating reservoirs by a strong snowmelt in their high mountain catchment ( Prokletija, Durmitor ) and the heavy rains in the spring but not always under control. The Morava is but today the much larger problem dar. Here neither protective retention basins ( retention basins ) nor significant dikes are built. A Moravaregulierung was planned a long time but never got to run.

Danube and Sava rivers have on their run numerous Retensionsflächen (eg Obedska bara ). Danube and Tisza are also still protected by the outflow - regulating system of the Danube -Tisa -Danube Canal. The annual floods are therefore now rare critical. Catastrophic Danube floods occur today only after long decades. The last great flood of 1965 went from there got off lightly, since the former threat of Novi Sad could be averted by flooding of agricultural land. By freezing the Danube at last the 1956 sale of a large ice floes flood occurred. Several icebreakers are available for such cases.

On a length of 588 km, the Danube flows through the country. In its central section running through Serbia she takes on the following rivers: Tisza, Sava, Tamis, Morava, Mlava, Nera, Pek and the Timok.

The Tisza its part on the Begej. The Save the Drina and Kolubara takes on. The Morava takes Toplice, the Nis and the Western Morava on. The Drina receives the Lim, which in turn receives the Uvac. The Western Morava takes Djetinja, Moraviaca and Ibar, which receives the Sitnica on.

Lakes

Serbia lakes are usually created artificially. The natural lakes are geographically very small. May be mentioned that the Palic lake (5 km ²) and Ludaš in northern Serbia ( in Subotica ). The largest artificially created lake in Serbia is the Djerdapsee (253 km ²) on the border with Romania. It is the largest lake in the country. Other reservoirs were the Vlasinasee to the southeast, the Gazivodesee the river Ibar, the Zlatarsee on Uvac, and the Perućacsee and Zvorniksee both. On the Drina, to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina

More reservoirs:

Vlasinasee ( serb. Vlasinsko Jezero ) 16 km ²
Perućacsee ( serb. Perućačko Jezero ) 12.4 km ²
Gazivodesee ( serb. Gazivode Jezero ) 11.9 km ²
Zvorniksee ( serb. Zvorničko Jezero ) 8.1 km ²
Zlatarsee ( serb. Zlatarsko ) 7.25 km ²

Mountains

→ See also: List of tallest mountains and elevations in Serbia

In particular, the south-western and south-eastern part of Serbia is crossed by mountain ranges. These include the Dinaric Alps, the Balkan Mountains and the Carpathians. The highest mountain is the Đeravica in Prokletija Mountains in Kosovo with 2,656 m height. Looking at the territory without the controversial Kosovo, is the highest elevation of Midžor in the Balkan Mountains immediately to the Serbian- Bulgarian border.

Comments

Disputed territories: Kosovo | Transnistria

Geography (Serbia )

Carpathian Mountains Iron Gates Drin (river) Ibar River Nerodimka (river) Drava River regime Nera River (Danube) Lim (river) Vlasina Lake Zlatar Lake Midžor Geography of Bulgaria Geography of Ireland Geography of Montenegro Geography of Slovakia Geography of Ukraine Geography of Kosovo Geography of Africa

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