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Euphrates....
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The Euphrates (the traditional Greek name for the river, which is in
Old Persian Ufrat, Aramaic
Prāth/Frot, in Arabic Al-Furat الفرات, in
Turkish Fırat and in ancient Assyrian language Pu-rat-tu) is the
westernmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia (Bethnahrin in
Aramaic), the other being the Tigris. Its name originates from
Old Persian
and Avestan "good to cross over," from hu-
"good" + peretu- "ford."
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The river is approximately 2,780 km (1,700 miles) long.
It is formed by the union of two branches, the Kara (the western
Euphrates), which rises in the highlands of eastern Turkey north of Erzerum and the
Murat (the eastern Euphrates), which issues from Lake Van. The upper reaches
of the Euphrates flow through steep canyons and gorges then southeast across
Syria and then through Iraq. The Khabur and the Balikh River join the
Euphrates in eastern Syria. They both have their origins in
Turkey.
Downstream, through its whole length, the Euphrates receives no further
water flow. North of Basra, in southern Iraq, the river merges with the
Tigris to form the Shatt al-Arab, which in turn empties into the Persian
Gulf. |
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The river is the source of political tension, as
Turkey, Syria and
Iraq all compete for the use of its waters for
irrigation and the generation of hydroelectric power. For centuries the
river formed the east limit of Roman control. During
the supremacy of the Eastern Roman Empire,
numerous towns and centers of art and literature flourished along its bank.
Much historical data has been yielded by archaeological excavations on the
banks of the Tigris and the
Euphrates.
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The Euphrates River near
Ar Raqqah, Syria
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The Euphrates is only navigable by very shallow-draft
boats, which can reach as far as the Iraqi city of Hit, located 1,200
miles upstream and which is only 53 meters above sea level. Above Hit,
however, shoals and rapids make the river commercially unavoidable. Its
annual inundation, caused by snowmelt in the mountains of Armenia, has
been partly checked by new dams and reservoirs in the upper reaches. A
550-mile canal links the Euphrates to the Tigris to serve as a route for
river barges. |
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