Ems | |
Eems (Dutch, Low German), Iems (Westfalian), Oamse (Saterland Frisian), Amisia (Latin) | |
River | |
The Ems near Lingen
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Name origin: tamesis, indo-european for dark, as in dark river | |
Countries | Germany, Netherlands (part of watershed) |
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Bundesland | Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia |
Region | Emsland |
Tributaries | |
- right | Leda, Hase |
Cities | Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Gütersloh, Warendorf, Rheine, Lingen, Meppen, Papenburg, Leer, Emden |
Source | |
- location | Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock |
- elevation | 134 m (440 ft) |
- coordinates | 51°51′21″N 8°41′55″E / 51.85583°N 8.69861°E |
Mouth | Dollart Bay/North Sea |
- location | Emden |
- elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
- coordinates | 53°19′32″N 7°14′41″E / 53.32556°N 7.24472°ECoordinates: 53°19′32″N 7°14′41″E / 53.32556°N 7.24472°E |
Length | 371 km (231 mi) |
Basin | 17,934 km2 (6,924 sq mi) |
Discharge | for Emden |
- average | 80 m3/s (2,825 cu ft/s) |
Course of the Ems through Emsland
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The Ems (German: Ems; Dutch: Eems) is a river in northwestern Germany. It runs through the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, and discharges into the Dollart Bay which is part of the Wadden Sea. Its total length is 371 kilometres (231 mi). The state border between the Lower Saxon area of East Friesland (Germany) and the province of Groningen (Netherlands), whose exact course is the subject of a border dispute between Germany and the Netherlands, runs through the Ems estuary.
The source of the river is in the southern Teutoburg Forest in North Rhine-Westphalia. In Lower Saxony the brook becomes a comparatively large river. Here the swampy region of Emsland is named after the river. In Meppen the Ems is joined by its largest tributary, the Hase River. It then flows northwards, close to the Dutch border, into East Frisia. Near Emden it flows into the Dollart bay (a national park) and then continues as a tidal river towards the Dutch city of Delfzijl.
Between Emden and Delfzijl, the Ems forms the border between the Netherlands and Germany and is subject to mild dispute: the Dutch believe that the border runs through the geographical centre of the estuary, whereas the Germans claim it runs through the deepest channel (which is close to the Dutch coast). As the parties are now friendly states with an open border, the argument goes no further than an agreement to disagree.