Prut River | |
Prut River near Hoverla, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
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Countries | Ukraine, Romania, Moldova |
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Oblasts/ Counties/ Districts |
Ukraine: Ivano-Frankivsk O., Chernivtsi O. Romania: Botoșani C., Iași C., Vaslui C., Galați C. Moldova Briceni d., Edineț d., Rîșcani d., Glodeni d., Fălești d., Ungheni d., Nisporeni d., Hîncești d., Leova d., Cantemir d., Cahul d. |
Tributaries | |
- right | Cheremosh, Jijia |
Cities | Kolomyia, Chernivtsi, Ungheni, Leova, Cahul |
Source | Carpathian Mountains |
- location | Mt. Hoverla, Ivano-Frankivsk O., Ukraine |
Mouth | Danube |
- location | Giurgiulești, Romania/Moldova |
- coordinates | 45°28′8″N 28°12′28″E / 45.46889°N 28.20778°ECoordinates: 45°28′8″N 28°12′28″E / 45.46889°N 28.20778°E |
Length | 953 km (592 mi) |
Basin | 27,500 km2 (10,618 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
- average | 110 m3/s (3,885 cu ft/s) |
Progression | Danube→ Black Sea |
Map of the Prut River
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The Prut (also spelled in English Pruth and French as Prout; Romanian pronunciation: [prut], Ukrainian: Прут) is a 953 km (592 mi) long river in Eastern Europe. In part of its course it forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine.
The Pruth was known in antiquity as the Pyretus (Ancient Greek Πυρετός), Porata (possibly),Hierasus (Ιερασός) or Gerasius. It originates on the eastern slope of Mount Hoverla, in the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine. The Prut flows southeast, eventually joining the Danube river near Giurgiulești, east of Galați.
Between 1918 and 1939, the river was partly in Poland and partly in Greater Romania (Romanian: România Mare). After the German invasion of Poland in 1939, it became almost entirely Romanian. Prior to World War I, it served as a border between Romania and the Russian Empire. After World War II, the river once again demarcated a border, this time between Romania and the Soviet Union. Nowadays, for a length of 695 km, it forms the border between Romania and Moldova. It has a hydrographic basin of 27,500 km2, of which 10,990 km2 are in Romania and 7,790 km2 in Moldova. The largest city along its banks is Chernivtsi, Ukraine.