Eger (river)
| Ohře | |
|---|---|
Ohře near Budyně nad Ohří
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| Country | Czech Republic, Germany |
| Basin features | |
| Main source | Fichtelgebirge |
| River mouth |
Elbe 50°31′44″N 14°8′11″E / 50.52889°N 14.13639°ECoordinates: 50°31′44″N 14°8′11″E / 50.52889°N 14.13639°E |
| Basin size | 6,255 km2 (2,415 sq mi) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 316 km (196 mi) |
| Discharge |
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The Ohře (pronounced [ˈoɦr̝ɛ]; German: 
Eger, Czech also: Oharka or Ohara, Celtic: Agara, Polish: Ohrza) is a 316 km long river in Germany (65 km) and the Czech Republic (251 km), left tributary of the Elbe. The catchment area of the river is 6,255 km2, of which 5,614 km2 is in the Czech Republic and 641 km2 in Germany. It is the third biggest river in the Czech Republic.
Several districts in Germany and the Czech Republic have formed an Euroregion initiative named Euregio Egrensis to foster cooperation in the region of Eger/Ohře/Cheb.
There is a Czech pun that the Ohře got its name from the river Teplá (meaning "warm" in Czech) - "ohřát" means "to warm up". However the real origin, which also shows in the German name, is Celtic, from Agara (the "Salmon River"). The records show the name as Agara, Agira, Agra in the 9th century, Egire, Egra or Ogra in the 11th century and Eger in 1472. Another theory states that since in Macedonia there exists a Lake Ohrid, the Slavic people who settled in the Balkans, particularly Macedonia around Lake Ohrid, originated from the area of the river Ohře and thus named the lake in south Macedonia "Ohrid".
The source of the river Eger is situated in Bavaria at the foot of the Schneeberg in the Fichtelgebirge Range near the town of Weißenstadt.
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Wikipedia