Scheldt

The Scheldt ( Escaut fr. ) is a river in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

History and characteristics

It rises in Gouy in northern France near the Belgian border and flows northward through Flanders. Is located on its lower reaches the city of Antwerp with the third largest seaport in Europe.

In the Dutch province of Zeeland, the Scheldt had until the 17th century, a delta of two mouth funnels ( estuaries ), the Westerschelde and the Oosterschelde. Since the latter also received inflow from the Meuse to the 20th century, the estuaries of the Scheldt, Meuse and Rhine also be considered together as the Rhine-Meuse -Scheldt delta, although not part of the Scheldt river system of the Rhine. However Oosterschelde silted near the bifurcation of the Westerschelde in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 20th century, the eastern part was cut off as part of the Delta Plan by inflow from the Maas and is now a - since 1986 by the Oosterscheldesperrwerk protected from storm surges - bay.

The Scheldt is a slow river with a mean discharge of 127 m³ / s at the beginning of the Westerschelde estuary. The influence of the tide is still up to 160 km from the mouth. The up to five kilometers wide estuary ( Westerschelde ) represents a reservoir of exceptional ecological richness; whereas this is called estuaries estuary.

Pictures

In Oudenaarde, the Scheldt

With clamp Belle, the Scheldt

Spatial Cultural and historical aspects

In ancient times the river was called Scaldis. Presumably you also corresponds to the mentioned by Ptolemy river Tabuda or tab.

The Scheldt has played an important role in the economic and political evolution of Flanders, Brabant and Hainaut since the Middle Ages. She was a long time border between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire. Estuaries were good against attackers from lake to defend, since the artillery was far and reasonably accurate shooting. Useful was the fact that ports in estuaries ships offer better protection against storms of ports which are located directly on the coast. This helped to make cities like Hamburg (Elbe ), Emden (Ems ) and London ( Thames ) to major ports.

Vauban took the Scheldt to defend the fortresses of Valenciennes, Bouchain, Condé- sur- l'Escaut and Cambrai. Since the Spanish conquest of Antwerp in 1585, the Scheldt was closed until the 19th century by the Dutch fleet.

As of May 10, 1940 troops of the Wehrmacht occupied the Benelux countries ( and in June in the western campaign and northern France ). In August 1944, Allied troops advanced apace; the port of Antwerp could be filled in early September by the 2nd British Army. Since Antwerp but in the hinterland of the Scheldt estuary, about 80 kilometers away from the coast, a use was only possible if it was possible to eliminate the strong German artillery positions on the barrier peninsula Walcheren. This happened in the long and bloody battle on the Scheldt estuary.

On the banks of the Scheldt plays the act of romantic opera Lohengrin by Richard Wagner.

Shipping

The Scheldt is navigable almost throughout its course with vessels in the upper reaches in the form of the Canal de Saint- Quentin, whom she supplied with water from Cambrai as a self -earth waterway. Through the junction of major shipping lane Dunkirk -Scheldt (French: Liaison à grand gabarit Dunkerque -Escaut ), it has become a major waterway in Northern France and Belgium.

Tributaries of the Scheldt

From mouth. Only direct tributaries and their tributaries are listed. (.. ) Indicate more not mentioned branches.

  • Oosterschelde the old course of the Scheldt
  • Westerschelde or Honte ( between Bath and Vlissingen ), now usually called simply Scheldt Schijn (Antwerp )
  • Molenbeek- Ter Erpenbeek ( Hofstade )
  • Marcq ( Lessines -Deux- Acren )
  • Ruisseau d' Ancre ( Lessines )
  • Sille ( Ath )
  • Dendre Orientale and Occidentale Dendre ( Ath )
  • Rhosne ( Ronse )
  • Crinchon
  • Ugy
  • Trouille ( Mons- Jeumont )
  • Hogneau ou Honneau ( Condé- sur- l'Escaut ) ( ..)
  • Hirondelle ( ..)

Painters of the Scheldt

  • Lode van der Linden
Schelde (Dill) Gouy (Aisne) Ghent Meuse (river) Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta County of Hainaut Canal de Saint-Quentin Nete (river) Dijle Molenbeek-Ter Erpenbeek Molenbeek (Erpe-Mere Bovenschelde) Leie Comines-Warneton Aire-sur-la-Lys Merville (Nord) Zwalm Kluisbergen Scarpe (river) Haine Rhonelle Denain Iwuy Marcoing Battle of Fontenoy Albert Canal Scheldt–Rhine Canal
711374
de