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List of rivers of Albania facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Harta Hidrogjeologjike e Shqipërisë (1985)
Hydrogeological Map of Albania
Source: Ministry of Industry and Mines (1985)

Albania is a country with many rivers and streams. It has 152 rivers in total! Ten of these are large rivers. They mostly flow from the southeast to the northwest. Most of them end up in the Adriatic Sea. All together, these rivers carry about 1,308 cubic meters of water every second. That's a lot of water!

In the mountains, rivers flow through narrow valleys. These valleys often have steep sides and are very deep. When it rains a lot, the rivers collect smaller streams and carry a lot of mud and sand. This makes the riverbeds change their shape often.

Most of the river water comes from rain (65-92%). The rest comes from underground water (8-35%). On average, Albania gets 1,494 mm of rain each year. About 945 mm of this rain flows into the rivers. The amount of water in the rivers changes with the seasons. Winter has the most water flow (40% of the yearly total). Spring comes next, then autumn, and finally summer.

The river water usually has 150 to 500 mg of minerals per liter. Rivers also carry about 60 million tons of dirt and rocks each year. This happens more in the areas around the Osum, Devoll, and Erzen rivers. In winter, river temperatures are cool, from 3.5 to 8.9°C. In summer, they get warmer, from 17.8 to 24.6°C.

Major Rivers of Albania

Albania has many important rivers. Here is a list of the main ones.      This river is part of a protected area.      This river is part of a national park.      This river is part of a world heritage site.

No. Image River Name Length Basin Size Annual Water Flow Map
1 Drini River flowing in Shkodër.jpg Drin 285 km 14,173 km² 352 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
2 Holtë River, Gramsh, Albania 2018 01.jpg Devoll 196 km (122 mi) 3,140 km² 49.5 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
3 Vjosa river mouth.jpg Vjosa 192 km (119 mi) 6,706 km² 195 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
4 Shkumbin.jpg Shkumbin 181.4 km (112.7 mi) 2,444 km² 61.5 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
5 Gorica bridge Berat Albania 2018.1.jpg Osum 161 km (100 mi) 2,073 km² 32.5 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
6 E851 WikipediaWeekendTirana2015 FanValley 626.jpg Mat 115 km (71 mi) 2,441 km² 103 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
7 River Erzen close to Iba.jpg Erzen 109 km (68 mi) 760 km² 18.1 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
8 Reps, Mirditë, Albania 2018 02.jpg Fan 94 km (58 mi) 1,080 km² 46 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
9 Fier from the air.jpg Seman 85 km (53 mi) 5,649 km² 95.7 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
10 Nekolik set let stary turecky most pres Drinos, v pozadi.jpg Drino 84.6 km (52.6 mi) 1,320 km² 41.6 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania

Other Important Rivers

Here are some other rivers in Albania that are also important.

No. Image River Name Length Basin Size Annual Water Flow Map
11 Drashovicë, Selenicë, Albania 2019 07 – Shushicë.jpg Shushicë 81.6 km (50.7 mi) 715 km² 24.3 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
12 Zall Dajti.jpg Ishëm 62.2 km (38.6 mi) 673 km² 21.5 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
13 Tamara 01.JPG Cem 58.8 km (36.5 mi) 368 km² 24.86 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
14 Ura e Mesit Mbi Perroin e Kirit 03.jpg Kir 52 km (32 mi) 261 km² 17 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
15 Lugina e Valbones foto Arben Llapashtica 2.jpg Valbonë 50.6 km (31.4 mi) 657 km² 33 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
16 Pavlla river .JPG Pavllë 50 km (31 mi) 374 km² 6.51 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
17 Lumi i Bunes, burimi nga Liqeni i Shkodres 01.jpg Bunë 44 km (27 mi) 5,187 km² 320 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
18 Ura Ne Përroin e Benjës.jpg Lëngaricë 36.8 km (22.9 mi) 337.1 km² 7.86 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
19 Ndërlysaj, Theth - 2018 02.jpg Shalë 35 km (22 mi) 269 km² 33.7 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
20 Kalasë 34 km (21 mi) 258 km² 7.46 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
21 Lana river in Tirana 2.jpg Lanë 28.9 km (18.0 mi) 66.9 km² 242 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
22 Gashi River 01.jpg Gashi 27 km (17 mi)
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
23 Albania (7912544860).jpg Bistricë 25 km (16 mi) 189 km² 23.9 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania
24 Benca Tepelena.jpg Bënça 15 km (9.3 mi) 188 km² 8.8 m³/s
List of rivers of Albania is located in Albania
List of rivers of Albania

River Basins

A river basin is the area of land where all the water drains into one main river or lake. Think of it like a giant funnel! Here are the main river basins in Albania. The names in italic mean that the river or lake is not fully in Albania. The text in ... shows the name in Albanian.

Adriatic Sea Basin

Many Albanian rivers flow into the Adriatic Sea.

  • Buna – Bunë
    • Great Drin – Drin, Drini
      • White Drin – Drini i Bardhë
      • Black Drin – Drini i Zi
        • Lake Ohrid – Liqeni i Ohrit
      • Valbona
        • Gashi
      • Shala
      • Kir
    • Lake Skadar – Liqeni i Shkodrës
      • MoračaMoraça
        • Cem
        • Mareza
  • Gulf of Drin – Gjiri i Drinit
    • Small Drin; see Great Drin above
  • AoösVjosë
    • Drino
    • Shushicë
    • Sarantaporos
  • Seman
    • Osum
    • Devoll
      • Tomorrica
  • Shkumbin
  • Mat
    • Fan
  • Erzen
  • Ishëm
    • Gjole
      • Tërzukë
      • Tiranë
        • Lanë
    • Zezë

Ionian Sea Basin

Some rivers in Albania flow into the Ionian Sea.

  • Pavllë
  • Bistricë
    • Blue Eye (a special spring) – Syri i Kaltër

Black Sea Basin

A few rivers in Albania are part of the huge Black Sea basin.

  • DanubeDanubi
    • Sava
      • Drina
        • Lim

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