Neman River Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Neman River
Map highlighting Neman
Country	Belarus, Lithuania, Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia), Poland
Physical characteristics
River mouth	Curonian Lagoon (Baltic Sea)
Length	937 km (582 mi)

Neman River near Alytus.

The Neman River (also called Niemen or Nemunas) is a really important river in Eastern Europe. It begins in Belarus and flows through Lithuania before emptying into the Curonian Lagoon and then the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda.

For part of its journey, the Neman forms the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast. It also briefly touches the border between Lithuania and Belarus. It's one of Europe's biggest rivers, the largest in Lithuania, and the third largest in Belarus. People can travel by boat on most of its 900-kilometer (about 560-mile) length. Its depth changes from about one meter to five meters.

Rivers Joining the Neman
Who Lives in the Neman? (Fish Life)
Images for kids
See also

Rivers Joining the Neman

Many smaller rivers join the Neman, bringing more water to it. These joining rivers are called tributaries. Some of the main ones include:

The Neris (also known as Viliya)
The Shchara
The Šešupė
The Nevėžis River
The Dubysa
The Jūra
The Minija

Who Lives in the Neman? (Fish Life)

The Neman River is home to many different kinds of fish! You might find fish like perch, pike, zander, roach, tench, bream, rudd, ruffe, and bleak swimming here.

Its smaller rivers also have fish like stone loach, the three-spined stickleback, minnows, trout, sculpins, gudgeon, dace, and chub.

In the past, Atlantic salmon used to swim far up the river to lay their eggs. However, dams built on the river have made it harder for them to travel. For example, the dam at Kaunas does not have special "fish ladders" to help fish get past it.