The Republic of Chuvashia is one of the smallest subjects of the Russian Federation in terms of area, located in the European part of the country. In this article you will find detailed information about the largest rivers of Chuvashia with photos, names and basic statistics about these watercourses.
Geography of Chuvashia: a brief overview
Chuvashia is part of the Volga Federal District. It borders on Tatarstan, Mordovia, the Republic of Mari El, Ulyanovsk and Nizhny Novgorod regions. The total area of the region is 18,343 sq. km, population - 1.23 million people. The capital of the republic is the city of Cheboksary.
Chuvashia is located in the eastern part of the Russian Plain. The area is characterized by a slightly dissected relief. The highest point above sea level is 287 meters. The republic is located within the forest (in the north and in the center) and forest-steppe (in the south) natural zones. The average annual rainfall is 550 millimeters. The region is characterized by a fairly dense and well-developed hydrographic network. All rivers of Chuvashia belong to the Volga basin.
In the administrativerespect the territory of the republic is divided into 21 districts. It includes 9 cities, 5 towns and about 1700 villages.
Main rivers of Chuvashia: names and list
The average density of the republic's river network is 0.48 km/sq.km. It is most developed in the northwestern regions of Chuvashia, which are distinguished by a rather complex geological and tectonic structure of the earth's surface. In the central and southern parts of the region, the density of natural watercourses is noticeably decreasing.
The total number of rivers in Chuvashia is 2356. Their total length is approximately 8500 kilometers. Below is a list of the rivers of Chuvashia, the length of which exceeds 50 km (within the republic):
- Sura (250 km).
- Big Tsivil (172 km).
- Small Tsivil (134 km).
- Volga (120 km).
- Kubnya (109 km).
- Bula (92 km).
- Kirya (91 km).
- Abyss (86 km).
- Unga (65 km).
- Anish (61 km).
- Vyla (55 km).
- Sorma (52 km).
The location of the largest rivers of Chuvashia is marked on the map below.
For most of the river systems of this region, well-developed valleys with a pronounced asymmetry of slopes are characteristic (the right bank is steep, the left one is gentle). The food of the rivers is mixed, but with a clear predominance of snow. The spring flood occurs in the second half of April, the low water peak - at the beginning of September. In summer, the rivers of Chuvashia often experience sharp rises in the water level, which is associated with short-term and heavy rainfall.
Sura
Sura is the largest river in Chuvashia, flowing along the western borders of the republic. This is a fairly large tributary of the Volga, 841 kilometers long, which crosses the territories of six constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Within Chuvashia, the length of the river is 230 km.
Sura flows into the Cheboksary reservoir already on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod region. In Chuvashia, the river has a wide floodplain with numerous oxbow lakes and small lakes. The channel of the Sura is distinguished by a great sinuosity. The Mari language has the word "shur", which translates as "horn". Most likely, the hydronym "sura" came from this word.
Volga
The largest river in Europe has the most important sacred meaning for the Russian people. The Volga originates on the slopes of the Valdai Upland and flows through the territory of fifteen constituent entities of Russia, in particular, along the northeastern administrative border of Chuvashia. Within the republic there is a dam of the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station, as well as a reservoir of the same name (pictured below).
Civil
Tsivil is the largest river system in Chuvashia, which lies entirely within one republic. It is formed as a result of the confluence of two rivers - Big and Small Tsivil (near the city of Tsivilsk). The total length of the river is 172 kilometers. The catchment area is 4690 sq. km, which is almost 25% of the entire territory of Chuvashia. The Tsivil River is known for its richest ichthyofauna. In its waters there are all kinds of fish that are typical for the watercourses of Central Russia.
Kubnya
Kubnya is a river that partially flows through the territory of Chuvashia, a tributary of the Volga of the second order. Its length within the republic is 109 km. The source of Kubni is located in the Ibresinsky district at an altitude of 200 meters above sea level. The river flows along the northern edge of the Volga Upland. In the upper reaches, the Kubnya valley is poorly expressed in relief, but closer to the mouth, its width reaches four kilometers. The banks of the river are often steep and steep, covered with meadow, shrub and tree vegetation. Kubnya feeds mainly on melted snow waters, the flood is observed in late March - early April.
Bula
The name of this river does not come from the Ukrainian verb "was", but from the Chuvash "fell". Bula (accent on the last syllable) flows in the southern part of Chuvashia, crossing the expanses of three of its administrative regions at once. The source of the river is located in the Ibresinsky district near the village of Lipovka. Within the republic, its length is 92 kilometers. The Bula receives the waters of several dozen tributaries, the largest of which is the Malaya Bula River.
Abyss
The river with the curious name "Abyss" also flows in the south of Chuvashia and flows into the Sura near the city of Alatyr. A solid segment of its channel passes through the territory of the beautiful Chavash Varmane National Park.
The source of the river is located near the village of Chuvashskaya Abyss in the territory of neighboring Tatarstan. The channel of the Abyss is very tortuous and strongly subject to meandering along its entire length. The river is brightpronounced spring flood. It feeds on melted snow waters, freezes in the second half of December, opens in early April. On the banks of the Abyss grows a large number of rare species of plants (especially in the upper reaches).
