Ndtyjky

Tisza River
Tisza (in Hungarian) Tisa (in Romanian) Тиса (in Rusyn) Тиса (in Ukrainian) Tisa (in Slovak) Тиса, Tisa (in Serbian)
River
The Tisza in Szeged, Hungary
Countries	Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia
Tributaries
- left	Someş, Criș, Mureș
- right	Bodrog
Towns	Sighetu Marmației, Khust, Szolnok, Szeged, Bečej
Source
- location	Eastern Carpathians, Ukraine
- elevation	2,020 m (6,627 ft)
Mouth	Danube
- location	Downstream of Novi Sad, Serbia
- coordinates	45°8′17″N 20°16′39″E / 45.13806°N 20.27750°E / 45.13806; 20.27750Coordinates: 45°8′17″N 20°16′39″E / 45.13806°N 20.27750°E / 45.13806; 20.27750 [1]
Length	1,419 km (882 mi)
Basin	156,087 km2 (60,266 sq mi)
Discharge	mouth
- average	820 m3/s (28,958 cu ft/s)
Progression	Danube→ Black Sea
Designation
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Tisa River
Designated	4 December 2004
Reference no.	1411[2]
Map of the Tisza and southern part of the Danube

Hydrography of the Pannonian basin before the river and lake regulations in the 19th century.

The Tisza or Tisa is one of the main rivers of Central Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders.

The Tisza begins near Rakhiv in Ukraine, at the confluence of the White Tisa and Black Tisa (the former springs in the Chornohora mountains; the latter in the Gorgany range). From there, the Tisza flows west, roughly following Ukraine's borders with Romania and Hungary, then into Hungary, and finally into Serbia. It enters Hungary at Tiszabecs. It traverses Hungary from north to south. A few kilometers south of the Hungarian city of Szeged, it enters Serbia. Finally, it joins the Danube near the village of Stari Slankamen in Vojvodina, Serbia.

The Tisza drains an area of about 156,087 km² (60,266 sq mi)^[3] and has a length of 1,419 km (882 mi)— seco^[3] Its mean annual discharge is 792 m³/s (28,000 cu ft/s). It contributes about 13% of the Danube's total runoff.^[3]

Attila the Hun is said to have been buried under a diverted section of the river Tisza.

Names

The river was known as the Tisia in antiquity; other ancient names for it included Tissus (in Latin) and Pathissus (Πάθισσος in Ancient Greek), (Pliny, Naturalis historia, 4.25). It may be referred to as the Theiss in older English references, after the German name for the river, Theiß. It is known as the Tibisco in Italian, and in older French references (as for instance in relation to the naval battles on the Danube between the Ottoman Empire and the Austrian Hapsburg Empire in the 17th and 18th centuries) it is often referred to as the Tibisque.

Modern names for the Tisza in the languages of the countries it flows through include:

• 
  Romanian: Tisa (pronounced [ˈtisa]);


• 
  Ukrainian: Тиса (pronounced [ˈtɪsɑ]);


• 
  Slovak: Tisa (pronounced [ˈcisa]);


• 
  Hungarian: Tisza (pronounced [ˈtisɒ]);


• 
  Serbian: Тиса, Tisa (pronounced [tîsa]).

Regulation

The length of the Tisza in Hungary used to be 1,419 km (882 mi). It flowed through the Great Hungarian Plain, which is one of the largest flat areas in central Europe. Since plains can cause a river to flow very slowly, the Tisza used to follow a path with many curves and turns, which led to many large floods in the area.

After several small-scale attempts, István Széchenyi organised the "regulation of the Tisza" (Hungarian: a Tisza szabályozása) which started on August 27, 1846, and substantially ended in 1880. The new length of the river in Hungary was 1,419 km (882 mi), 1,358 km (844 mi) total, with 589 km (366 mi) of dead channels and 136 km (85 mi) of new riverbed. The resultant length of the flood-protected river comprises 2,940 km (1,830 mi) out of 4,220 km (2,620 mi) of all Hungarian protected rivers.

Lake Tisza

In the 1970s, the building of the Tisza Dam at Kisköre started with the purpose of helping to control floods as well as storing water for drought seasons. However, the resulting Lake Tisza became one of the most popular tourist destinations in Hungary since it had similar features to Lake Balaton at drastically cheaper prices and was not crowded.

Navigation

The Tisza is navigable over much of its course. The river opened up for international navigation only recently; before, Hungary distinguished "national rivers" and "international rivers", indicating whether non-Hungarian vessels were allowed or not. After Hungary joined the European Union, this distinction was lifted and vessels were allowed on the Tisza.^{[citation needed]}

Conditions of navigation differ with the circumstances: when the river is in flood, it is often unnavigable, just as it is at times of extreme drought.^[4]

Wildlife

The Tisza has a rich and varied wildlife. Over 200 species of birds reside in the bird reserve of Tiszafüred. The flood plains along the river boast large amounts of diverse plant and animal life. In particular, the yearly "flowering" of the Tisza is considered a local natural wonder. The flowering attracts vast numbers of mayflies which is a well known spectacle.^[5]

Pollution

In early 2000, there was a sequence of serious pollution incidents originating from accidental industrial discharges in Romania. The first, in January 2000, occurred when there was a release of sludge containing cyanide from a Romanian mine and killed 2,000 tonnes (2,000 long tons; 2,200 short tons) of fish. The second, from a mine pond at Baia Borsa, northern Romania, resulted in the release of 20,000 cubic metres (710,000 cu ft) of sludge containing zinc, lead and copper occurred in early March 2000. A week later, the third spill occurred at the same mining site at Baia Borsa, staining the river black, possibly including heavy metals.^[6]

This series of incidents were described at the time as the most serious environmental disaster to hit central Europe since the Chernobyl disaster. Use of river water for any purpose was temporarily banned and the Hungarian government pressed the Romanians and the European Union to close all installations that could lead to further pollution.^[6]

Examination of river sediments indicates that pollution incidents from mines have occurred for over a century.^[7]

Geography

Tributaries

The rivers of Tisza and Bodrog at Tokaj, from above

The Tisza joins the Danube.

The following rivers are tributaries to the river Tisza:

• 
  Vișeu (entering at Valea Vișeului)


• 
  Kosivska (entering at Luh)


• 
  Shopurka (entering at Velykyi Bychkiv)


• 
  Iza (entering at Sighetu Marmației)


• Sarasău


• Bic


• Săpânța


• Șaroș


• 
  Teresva (entering near Teresva)


• Baia


• 
  Tereblia (entering at Bushtyno)


• 
  Rika (entering near Khust)


• Batar


• Borzhava


• Tur


• 
  Someș (entering near Vásárosnamény)
  
  
  
  • 
    Someșul Mare (in Dej)
    
    • 
      Șieu (in Beclean)
      
      • 
        Bistrița (near Bistrița)
      
      
    
    
  
  
  • 
    Someșul Mic (in Dej)
    
    
    
    • 
      Someșul Cald (in Gilău)
    
    
    • 
      Someșul Rece (in Gilău)
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  Crasna (entering in Vásárosnamény)


• 
  Bodrog (entering in Tokaj)
  
  
  
  • 
    Ondava (near Cejkov)
  
  
  • 
    Latorica (near Cejkov)
    
    
    
    • 
      Laborec (near Oborin)
      
      
      
      • 
        Uzh (near Pavlovce nad Uhom)
      
      
      • 
        Cirocha (in Humenné)
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • Stara
    
    
    • Vicha
    
    
    • Kerepets
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  Sajó (entering near Tiszaújváros)
  
  • 
    Hernád (near Miskolc)
  
  


• 
  Zagyva (entering in Szolnok)


• 
  Körös (entering near Csongrád)
  
  
  
  • 
    Sebes-Körös (near Gyoma)
    
    • 
      Berettyó (in Szeghalom)
    
    
  
  
  • 
    Crișul Alb (near Gyula)
  
  
  • 
    Crișul Negru (near Gyula)
  
  
  
  


• 
  Mureș (entering near Szeged)
  
  
  
  • 
    Arieş (near Gura Arieşului)
  
  
  • 
    Târnava (near Teiuş)
    
    
    
    • 
      Târnava Mare (in Blaj)
    
    
    • 
      Târnava Mică (in Blaj)
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  Aranca (entering near Padej)


• 
  Čik (entering near Bačko Petrovo Selo)


• 
  Jegrička (entering near Žabalj)


• 
  Bega (entering near Titel)

Cities and towns

The Tisza (Tisa) flows through the following countries and cities (ordered from the source to mouth):

• 
   Ukraine
  
  
  
  • Rakhiv
  
  
  • Tyachiv
  
  
  • Khust
  
  
  • Vynohradiv
  
  
  
  


• 
   Romania
  
  • Sighetu Marmației
  
  


• 
   Hungary
  
  
  
  • Vásárosnamény
  
  
  • Záhony
  
  
  • Tokaj
  
  
  • Tiszalök
  
  
  • Tiszaújváros
  
  
  • Tiszafüred
  
  
  • Szolnok
  
  
  • Tiszakécske
  
  
  • Csongrád
  
  
  • Szentes
  
  
  • Szeged
  
  
  
  


• 
   Serbia
  
  
  
  • Kanjiža
  
  
  • Novi Kneževac
  
  
  • Senta
  
  
  • Ada
  
  
  • Mol
  
  
  • Bačko Petrovo Selo
  
  
  • Bečej
  
  
  • Novi Bečej
  
  
  • Titel
  
  
  
  

See also

• Tice (wetlands)


• Ečka fish pond

References

Other sources

• Administrația Națională Apelor Române – Cadastrul Apelor – București


• Institutul de Meteorologie și Hidrologie – Rîurile României – București 1971

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tisza.

• 
  Backabanat.com, About Tisza


• 
  Historia.hu, the Living Tisza (in Hungarian)
  


• River Basin Report: Tisza River Ywat.org
  


• Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2010