Po (river)

Location and catchment area of the river Po

The Po south of Mantua

Historical map of the Delta from Meyers encyclopedia 1888

The river Po [ pɔ ] (Latin Padus, German outdated also: path, from MHG Phat or PFAT ) arises from the Cozie Alps located on the Italian- French border Po Valley and empties near Adria ( Veneto ) in the Adriatic Sea. With a length of 652 km, it is Italy 's longest river. The catchment area covers an area of ​​about 75,000 km ².

On further stretch the river flows through the Po Valley (Italian Po Valley ), the most important agricultural and industrial region of Italy. 1852, the Po - Marine was acquired by the Austrian Lloyd and reorganized.

The Po has an extensive delta of about 380 km ², its surface is constantly widening. Five of the most important arms Po di Maestra, Po della Pila, Po delle Tolle, Po della Donzella and Po di Goro. In the delta, a nature reserve has been set up, the Parco Regionale del Delta del Po.

In February 2010, the river was polluted by an oil spill by willfully from a disused refinery over 2500 cubic meters of crude oil were conducted in the tributary Lambro.

Previous name

In Roman times the river was called Padus and was eponymous for the division of Cisalpine Gaul in the regions Gallia Cispadana ( " Gaul this side of the Po ," about today's Emilia accordingly) and Gallia Transpadana ( " Gaul beyond the Po "). The headwaters contributed to the confluence of the Tanarus (now the Tanaro ) until the beginning of the Empire the name Bodincus, the " Groundless ".

In the 10th century the river was the Latin name of Eridanus ( gr Ηρίδανος Eridanos ). The bishop of Cremona Liutprand ( 962-970/972 ) answered in his legation report Liutprandi Legatio the question Nikephoros II of the Byzantine Emperor Phocas about where the city lies, in which he was bishop, " Cremona, I say, ( is ) the Eridanus, king of the rivers of Italy, very close. " (Latin original: " Cremona, Inquam, Eridano fluviorum Italiae regi satis vicina. ")

Tributaries, cities and regions

The butt has a total of 141 tributaries.

Schematic representation of

This diagram shows the regions through which the Po flows, the main tributaries and the main cities (dark colored background ).