DOURO - 12 BEAUTIFUL EU RIVERS

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The orange economy refers to the creative economy, or the production of goods and services that are based on intellectual property, technology, and cultural inspiration. Some examples of the orange economy are arts, media, design, software, and tourism. The color orange symbolizes creativity and innovation. River cruises are classed as part of the orange economy. Sustainable river cruises, such as using solar or hydrogen powered boats, ferries or ships, is one of the United Nations agendas, and of course, being on water; blue growth.

The river Douro is the highest-flow waterway of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish province of Soria, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the northern part of the Meseta Central in Castile and León into northern Portugal. Its most plentiful tributary (carrying a larger discharge than the Douro at their meeting) is the right-bank Esla river. At Douro's mouth at Porto, the second largest city of Portugal, the river meets the Atlantic Ocean.

The scenic Douro railway line runs close to the river. Adjacent areas produce port (a mildly fortified wine) and other agricultural produce. A small tributary of the river has the Côa Valley Paleolithic Art site which is considered important to the archaeological pre-historic patrimony, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within Spain, it flows through the middle of the autonomous community of Castile and León, with the basin spanning through the northern half of the Meseta Central. The latter includes wine producing areas such as the Ribera del Duero DOP.

It is the third-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula after the Tagus and Ebro. Its total length is 897 kilometres (557 mi), of which only sections of the Portuguese section, being below a fall/rapids line, are naturally navigable, by modest rivercraft. The Douro River basin encompasses an area of approximately 97,290 square kilometres.

In its Spanish section, the Douro crosses the great Castilian meseta and meanders through five provinces of the autonomous community of Castile and León: Soria, Burgos, Valladolid, Zamora, and Salamanca, passing through the towns of Soria, Almazán, Aranda de Duero, Tordesillas, and Zamora.

The most important tributaries in this region are the Pisuerga, passing through Valladolid, and the Esla, which passes through Zamora. This region is generally semi-arid plains, with wheat and in some places, especially near Aranda de Duero, with vineyards, in the Ribera del Duero wine region. Sheep rearing is also still important.

The drainage basin borders those of Miño to the north, Ebro to the east, and Tajo to the south.

For 112 kilometres (70 mi), the river forms part of the national border line between Spain and Portugal, in a region of narrow canyons. It formed a historical barrier to invasions, creating a cultural/linguistic divide. In these isolated areas, in which the Aldeadávila Dam impounds the river, there are protected areas: the International Douro Natural Park (on the Portuguese side) and the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (on the Zamoran margin).

The Douro fully enters Portuguese territory just after the confluence with the Águeda River; once the Douro enters Portugal, major population centres are less frequent along the river. Except for Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia at the river mouth, the only population centres of any note are Foz do Tua, Pinhão and Peso da Régua. Tributaries here are small, merging into the Douro along the canyons; the most important are Côa, Tua, Sabor, Corgo, Tavora, Paiva, Tâmega, and Sousa. None of these small, fast-flowing rivers is navigable.

All our oceans, seas and rivers are now extremely polluted. This is partly to do with our obsession with single use plastic, and partly to do with our reliance on fossil fuels for marine transport, mostly subsidized, in denial of alternative renewables like solar and green hydrogen, or green methanol clean energy.

MOST BEAUTIFUL & FAMOUS EUROPEAN RIVERS

Blue Danube - Black Forest to Black Sea
Don - Russia
Douro - Spain & Portugal
Elbe - Czech Republic & Germany

Loire - France
Maine - France
Moselle - Germany
Po - Italy
Rhine - Germany
Rhône - Swiss Alps & France
Seine - Dijon France to English Channel
Tiber - Italy

Since before the days of the Pharaohs, the River Nile has brought prosperity to the people living on its banks.

LINKS & REFERENCE

https://

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 

The Elizabeth Swann, is a Queen of the Nile themed ocean and river cruiser, that is powered by solar panels and hydrogen. Solar assistance is not needed if using green hydrogen, provided there is sufficient bunkering on the rivers, or at ports, etc. Imagine cruising the river Po, or any of the most beautiful European rivers, in a ferry based on similar ecological designs.

AMAZON - BURIGANGA - CITARUM - CONGO - CUYAHOGA - GANGES - IRTYSH - JORDAN  - LENA - MANTANZA-RIACHUELO

MARILAO - MEKONG - MISSISSIPPI - NIGER - NILE - PARANA - PASIG - SARNO - THAMES - YANGTZE - YAMUNA - YELLOW

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MOST BEAUTIFUL CRUISING HOLIDAYS - THE TWELVE LONGEST RIVERS IN EUROPE - 12 OF THE BEST CRUISES SUMMER & WINTER BREAKS

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