Schelde River

Schelde River
or Scheldt River French Escaut

River, western Europe.

The Schelde rises in northern France, flows through western Belgium to the city of Antwerp, turns northwest, and empties into the North Sea in Dutch territory after a course of 270 mi (435 km). Along with the lower Rhine and the Meuse rivers, it drains one of the world's most densely populated areas. A channel in the western Schelde allows oceangoing vessels to reach Antwerp at full tide.

* * *

also spelled  Scheldt,  French  Escaut,  

      river, 270 miles (435 km) long, that rises in northern France and flows across Belgium to its North Sea outlet in Dutch territory. Along with the Lower Rhine and the Meuse rivers, it drains one of the world's most densely populated areas. As a waterway, with its numerous branch canals and navigable tributaries, it serves an area including the agriculturally important Flanders Plain, the Belgian textile centres, the coalfields of northern France, and the industrial complex of Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing. The chief tributaries of the Schelde are the Scarpe and Lys on the left (west) bank and the Dender (or Dendre) and Rupel on the right. The estuary formerly had two channels, the Eastern (Eastern Schelde) and the Western Schelde (Ooster- and Westerschelde (Western Scheldt)) divided by the islands of Noord, Zuidbeveland, and Walcheren; but in 1866 the Eastern Schelde was sealed off by a dike carrying the railway to Vlissingen in The Netherlands. The outlet between Zuidbeveland and Walcheren is closed by a dike, and the only connection is via Zuidbeveland Canal. A channel in the Western Schelde, with a minimum depth of 24 feet (7 m), allows oceangoing vessels drawing up to 33 feet (10 m) to reach Antwerp at full tide. With its upper course canalized, the river is navigable for about 125 miles (200 km) in Belgium and 39 miles (63 km) in France. Among well-known towns on its banks are Cambrai and Valenciennes in France and Tournai, Oudenaarde, Ghent, and Antwerp in Belgium.

      The busiest section of the Schelde River lies between Antwerp and Ghent, along which are many industrial sites. Above Cambrai the river is unnavigable, but from this point the Canal de Saint-Quentin connects it with the Somme-Seine system. The Schelde waterway is also connected with the Sambre-Meuse river system by the Mons-Condé Canal. From Ghent the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal gives direct access to the Western Schelde, and the small Ghent-Ostende Canal is a link to the North Sea.

      Use of the Schelde as a shipping outlet was long a subject of bitter contention between the Flemish and the Dutch because the latter controlled most of the estuary. Seeking to cripple the trade of Antwerp, the Dutch in 1648 secured the right to close the estuary to navigation. In 1863, Belgium finally bought out this right, with assistance from other maritime countries, and declared the Schelde free, thereby giving impetus to the development of Antwerp as a great international port.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • river — river1 riverless, adj. riverlike, adj. /riv euhr/, n. 1. a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel or series of diverging and converging channels. 2. a similar stream of something other than water: a… …   Universalium

  • Schelde —    River that has long been an important route of transport in the Low Countries. Other rivers in the same delta are the Rhine, Waal, and Meuse (Maas). During the Revolt against Spanish rule, the northern provinces were able to maintain an effec… …   Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands

  • Schelde — or Scheldt or French Escaut geographical name river 270 miles (434 kilometers) W Europe flowing from N France through Belgium into North Sea in Netherlands …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Eastern Schelde — ▪ channel, The Netherlands Schelde also spelled  Scheldt,  Dutch  Oosterschelde,         channel extending about 30 miles (50 km) northwestward through the Delta Islands in southwestern Netherlands to the North Sea. A former estuary of the… …   Universalium

  • Scheldt (Schelde) —    River that has long been an important route of transport in the Low Countries. Other rivers in the same delta are the Rhine, Waal, and Meuse (Maas). During the Revolt against Spanish rule, the northern provinces were able to maintain an effec… …   Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands

  • Meuse (river) — Meuse The Meuse in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands Origin  France …   Wikipedia

  • Donge (river) — The Donge is a river in the Dutch province of Noord Brabant. It rises near the village Dongen and flows north to the city of Geertruidenberg where it s continued by the Amer together with the Bergse Maas. Use of the river Because the Donge gets… …   Wikipedia

  • Dill River — The Dill, a river 55 Kilometers long, flows through Middle Hesse in Germany and becomes a tributary to the Lahn, joining it on the right bank.It rises at about 567 m above sea level north of Haiger Offdilln on the eastern slope of the Haincher… …   Wikipedia

  • Dill (river) — Dill View over Dillenburg from the Wilhelmsturm, with the river Dill clearly visible. Origin Rothaargebirge / Westerwald Mouth Lahn …   Wikipedia

  • Belgium — /bel jeuhm/, n. a kingdom in W Europe, bordering the North Sea, N of France. 10,203,683; 11,779 sq. mi. (30,508 sq. km). Cap.: Brussels. French, Belgique /bel zheek /; Flemish, België /bel khee euh/. * * * Belgium Introduction Belgium Background …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”