Sava

Sava
Sava River in Belgrade, Serbia
Native name
Location
Countries
Cities
Physical characteristics
SourceZelenci
  locationKranjska Gora, Slovenia
  coordinates46°29′31″N 13°44′16″E / 46.49194°N 13.73778°E / 46.49194; 13.73778
  elevation833 m (2,733 ft)
MouthDanube
  location
Belgrade, Serbia
  coordinates
44°49′27″N 20°26′38″E / 44.82417°N 20.44389°E / 44.82417; 20.44389
  elevation
68 m (223 ft)
Length992 km (616 mi)
Basin size97,713.2 km2 (37,727.3 sq mi)
Discharge 
  locationthe river mouth
  average1609 m3/s (56800 cu ft/s)
Basin features
ProgressionDanubeBlack Sea
Tributaries 
  leftSavinja, Sutla, Krapina, Lonja, Ilova-Trebež, Orljava, Bosut, Jarčina
  rightSora, Ljubljanica, Krka, Kupa, Una, Vrbas, Ukrina, Bosna, Tolisa, Tinja, Drina, Kolubara

The Sava is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reaches Serbia, feeding into the Danube in its capital, Belgrade.

The Sava is 990 kilometres (615 miles) long, including the 45-kilometre (28 mi) Sava Dolinka headwater rising in Zelenci, Slovenia. It is the largest tributary of the Danube by volume of water, and the second-largest after the Tisza in terms of catchment area (97713km²) and length. It drains a significant portion of the Dinaric Alps region, through the major tributaries of Drina, Bosna, Kupa, Una, Vrbas, Lonja, Kolubara, Bosut and Krka. The Sava is one of the longest rivers in Europe and among the longest tributaries of another river.

The population in the Sava River basin is estimated at 8,176,000, and is shared by three capital cities: Ljubljana, Zagreb and Belgrade. The Sava is about 23-navigable for larger vessels: from the confluence of the Kupa in Sisak a few kilometers below Zagreb.