Scheldt | |
---|---|
The Scheldt in Antwerp
|
|
Course of the Scheldt
|
|
Native name | French: l'Escaut (m), Walloon: Escô, Dutch: Schelde |
Country | France, Belgium, Netherlands |
Basin features | |
Main source | France 97 m (318 ft) |
River mouth |
North Sea 51°25′51″N 3°31′44″E / 51.43083°N 3.52889°ECoordinates: 51°25′51″N 3°31′44″E / 51.43083°N 3.52889°E |
Basin size | 21,863 km2 (8,441 sq mi) |
Physical characteristics | |
Length | 360 km (220 mi) |
Discharge |
|
The Scheldt (/ʃɛlt/, French: l'Escaut [ɛsko], Walloon: Escô, Dutch: Schelde [ˈsxɛldə]) is a 350-kilometre (220 mi) long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to Old English sceald "shallow", Modern English shoal, Low German schol, Frisian skol, and Swedish (obsolete) skäll "thin".
The headwaters of the Scheldt are in Gouy, in the Aisne department of northern France. It flows north through Cambrai and Valenciennes, and enters Belgium near Tournai. In Ghent, where it receives the Lys, one of its main tributaries, the Scheldt turns east. Near Antwerp, the largest city on its banks, the Scheldt flows west into the Netherlands towards the North Sea.