Euphrates River | river, Middle East | Britannica.com
Euphrates River
Alternative Titles: Buranunu, Fırat Nehri, Nahr al Furāt, Perath, Purattu, Ufrat
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Euphrates River, Turkish Fırat Nehri, Arabic Nahr Al-Furāt, river , Middle East . The longest river in southwest Asia , it is 1,740 miles (2,800 km) long, and it is one of the two main constituents of the Tigris-Euphrates river system . The river rises in Turkey and flows southeast across Syria and through Iraq .
Ataturk Dam, on the Euphrates River in southeastern Turkey.
© tella0303/Fotolia
Formed by the confluence of the Karasu and Murat rivers in the Armenian Highland , the Euphrates descends between major ranges of the Taurus Mountains to the Syrian plateau. It then flows through western and central Iraq to unite with the Tigris River and continues, as Shatt Al-Arab , to the Persian Gulf . Its valley was heavily irrigated in ancient times, and many great cities, some of whose ruins remain, lined its banks. With the Tigris, it defines an area known historically as Mesopotamia . (For greater detail on the Euphrates River, see Tigris-Euphrates river system .
Learn More in these related articles:
Tigris-Euphrates river system
great river system of southwestern Asia. It comprises the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which follow roughly parallel courses through the heart of the Middle East. The lower portion of the region that they define, known as Mesopotamia (Greek: “Land Between the Rivers”), was one of the...
Syria
country located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea in southwestern Asia. Its area includes territory in the Golan Heights that has been occupied by Israel since 1967. The present area does not coincide with ancient Syria, which was the strip of fertile land lying between the eastern...
15 References found in Britannica Articles
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control project of Hammurabi   (in Hammurabi )
development of Ur   (in Ur )
hydrology of Khābūr River   (in Khābūr River )
Euphrates Dam   (in Euphrates Dam )
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Euphrates River - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
The longest river of western Asia is the 1,700-mile (2,700-kilometer) Euphrates. It begins in the high mountains of eastern Turkey, crosses eastern Syria, and then flows southeastward through the length of Iraq. Because of Iraq’s hot, dry climate much of the river’s water is lost through evaporation and use for irrigation. The river receives most of its water from winter rains and snowfall. It is navigable only by flat-bottomed riverboats. The Tigris, its twin river to the east, runs almost parallel with it. The two merge in a swamp to form the Shatt Al ’Arab, which flows into the Persian Gulf about 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the southeast. There are two flood periods each year. The rivers carry a heavy load of silt and have deposited much of it, forming a great, agriculturally productive alluvial plain. The major tributaries of the Euphrates are the Balikh, Al Khabur, and Gharraf Channel.
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Date Published: July 06, 2016
URL: https://www.britannica.com/place/Euphrates-River
Access Date: December 18, 2016
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