Po (river) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Po |
|
|---|---|
The Po near Cremona, Lombardy
|
|
Map of the Po River watershed
|
|
| Country | Italy |
| Po Basin | Italy, Switzerland, France |
| Cities | Turin, Cremona, Piacenza, Ferrara |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Monte Viso Near Crissolo, Piedmont, Italy 3,700 m (12,100 ft) 44°42′5″N 7°5′35″E / 44.70139°N 7.09306°E |
| River mouth | Adriatic Sea Near Adria, Veneto, Italy 0 m (0 ft) 44°57′9″N 12°25′55″E / 44.95250°N 12.43194°E |
| Length | 652 km (405 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 74,000 km2 (29,000 sq mi) |
The Po is the longest river in Italy. It flows for 652 kilometers (405 miles) across northern Italy. The river starts high up in the Cottian Alps at Monviso mountain. It then travels eastward, finally emptying into the Adriatic Sea near Venice. The area of land that drains into the Po River is about 71,000 square kilometers (27,000 square miles).
Contents
The Po River's Journey
The Po River passes through many important Italian cities. These include Turin (Torino) and, indirectly, Milan (Milano). Milan is connected to the Po by a network of channels called navigli. The famous artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci even helped design some of these channels.
Near its end, the Po forms a wide river delta. A delta is an area of land where a river splits into many smaller channels before flowing into a larger body of water. The Po Delta has hundreds of small channels and five main ones. One part of the delta, Comacchio, is well-known for its eels.
The large valley around the Po River is called Pianura Padana. This valley is very important for Italy's industries. The river helps connect the whole area, making it a major industrial region. The river is managed by a special group called the Magistrato delle Acque.
Farmers along the Po River mainly grow cereals. The river also has large fish that can be found in the summer.
When the Po River Dries Up
Sometimes, the Po River can experience very low water levels. On May 4, 2007, parts of the river dried up completely. This led Italy to declare a state of emergency in its northern and central regions.
This happened because the Alps had much less snowfall than usual the winter before. That winter was also Italy's warmest in 200 years. Scientists believe this might be connected to global warming. There were discussions about bringing water from large lakes and reservoirs in the Alps to refill the river.
Rivers Joining the Po
Many smaller rivers flow into the Po River. These are called tributaries. They join the Po from both the left and right sides as you look downstream (in the direction the river flows).
- Pellice (Left)
- Varaita (Right)
- Maira (Right)
- Dora Riparia (Left)
- Stura di Lanzo (Left)
- Orco (Left)
- Dora Baltea (Left)
- Sesia (Left)
- Tanaro (Right)
- Scrivia (Right)
- Agogna (Left)
- Ticino (Left)
- Lambro (Left)
- Trebbia (Right)
- Nure (Right)
- Adda (Left)
- Arda (Right)
- Taro (Right)
- Parma (Right)
- Enza (Right)
- Oglio (Left)
- Mincio (Left)
- Secchia (Right)
- Panaro (Right)
Images for kids
-
Horse riding along the Po Delta.
-
The Po in San Mauro Torinese in July 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Po para niños
