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Source: Ministry of Industry and Mines (1985)
Albania has an extensive hydrographic network of 152 rivers and streams, including 10 large rivers flowing from southeast to northwest, mainly discharging towards the Adriatic Sea. Combined, they produce a total annual flow rate of 1,308 cubic metres per second (46,200 cu ft/s).
In the mountainous regions, the rivers meander through narrow valleys with steep banks and great depth, collecting streams and silt during heavy rains. Their beds become erosive, causing frequent changes in their paths.
The rivers are mainly fed by atmospheric precipitation (65-92%) and underground water (8-35%), with an average rainfall layer of 1,494 mm and a runoff layer of 945 mm. Water flow varies by season, with winter having the largest annual flow (40%), followed by spring, autumn, and summer. The rivers contain an average mineralization of 150 to 500 mg/L and an average annual volume of suspended solids of 60 million tons, with greater erosion occurring in the catchment basins of Osum, Devoll, and Erzen. Temperatures in the winter months fall to 3.5-8.9°C, and in the summer months reach 17.8-24.6°C.
List of rivers
Part of a protected landscape Part of a national park Part of a world heritage siteMain rivers
| No. | Image | River | Length | Basin | Annual flow | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Drin | 285 km (177 mi) | 14,173 km (5,472 sq mi) | 352 m/s (12,400 cu ft/s) |  
|
| 2 | 
|
Devoll | 196 km (122 mi) | 3,140 km (1,210 sq mi) | 49.5 m/s (1,750 cu ft/s) |
|
| 3 | 
|
Vjosa | 192 km (119 mi) | 6,706 km (2,589 sq mi) | 195 m/s (6,900 cu ft/s) |
|
| 4 | 
|
Shkumbin | 181.4 km (112.7 mi) | 2,444 km (944 sq mi) | 61.5 m/s (2,170 cu ft/s) |
|
| 5 | 
|
Osum | 161 km (100 mi) | 2,073 km (800 sq mi) | 32.5 m/s (1,150 cu ft/s) |
|
| 6 | 
|
Mat | 115 km (71 mi) | 2,441 km (942 sq mi) | 103 m/s (3,600 cu ft/s) |
|
| 7 | 
|
Erzen | 109 km (68 mi) | 760 km (290 sq mi) | 18.1 m/s (640 cu ft/s) |
|
| 8 | 
|
Fan | 94 km (58 mi) | 1,080 km (420 sq mi) | 46 m/s (1,600 cu ft/s) |
|
| 9 | 
|
Seman | 85 km (53 mi) | 5,649 km (2,181 sq mi) | 95.7 m/s (3,380 cu ft/s) |
|
| 10 | 
|
Drino | 84.6 km (52.6 mi) | 1,320 km (510 sq mi) | 41.6 m/s (1,470 cu ft/s) |
|
Other rivers
| No. | Image | River | Length | Basin | Annual flow | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 
|
Shushicë | 81.6 km (50.7 mi) | 715 km (276 sq mi) | 24.3 m/s (860 cu ft/s) |
|
| 12 | 
|
Ishëm | 62.2 km (38.6 mi) | 673 km (260 sq mi) | 21.5 m/s (760 cu ft/s) |
|
| 13 | 
|
Cem | 58.8 km (36.5 mi) | 368 km (142 sq mi) | 24.86 m/s (878 cu ft/s) |
|
| 14 | 
|
Kir | 52 km (32 mi) | 261 km (101 sq mi) | 17 m/s (600 cu ft/s) |
|
| 15 | 
|
Valbonë | 50.6 km (31.4 mi) | 657 km (254 sq mi) | 33 m/s (1,200 cu ft/s) |
|
| 16 | 
|
Pavllë | 50 km (31 mi) | 374 km (144 sq mi) | 6.51 m/s (230 cu ft/s) |
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| 17 | 
|
Bunë | 44 km (27 mi) | 5,187 km (2,003 sq mi) | 320 m/s (11,000 cu ft/s) |
|
| 18 | 
|
Lëngaricë | 36.8 km (22.9 mi) | 337.1 km (130.2 sq mi) | 7.86 m/s (278 cu ft/s) |
|
| 19 | 
|
Shalë | 35 km (22 mi) | 269 km (104 sq mi) | 33.7 m/s (1,190 cu ft/s) |
|
| 20 | Kalasë | 34 km (21 mi) | 258 km (100 sq mi) | 7.46 m/s (263 cu ft/s) |
| |
| 21 | 
|
Lanë | 28.9 km (18.0 mi) | 66.9 km (25.8 sq mi) | 242 m/s (8,500 cu ft/s) |
|
| 22 | 
|
Gashi | 27 km (17 mi) |
| ||
| 23 | .jpg)
|
Bistricë | 25 km (16 mi) | 189 km (73 sq mi) | 23.9 m/s (840 cu ft/s) |
|
| 24 | 
|
Bënça | 15 km (9.3 mi) | 188 km (73 sq mi) | 8.8 m/s (310 cu ft/s) |
|
Basins
Organized by drainage basin. Albanian-language names of the water bodies are listed if different from English. Italics indicate that the body of water is not in or bordering Albania.
Adriatic Sea
- Buna – Bunë
- Great Drin – Drin, Drini
- White Drin – Drini i Bardhë
- Black Drin – Drini i Zi
- Lake Ohrid – Liqeni i Ohrit
- Valbona
- Shala
- Kir
- Lake Skadar – Liqeni i Shkodrës
- Great Drin – Drin, Drini
- Gulf of Drin – Gjiri i Drinit
- Small Drin; see Great Drin above
- Vjosa
- Seman
- Shkumbin
- Mat
- Erzen
- Ishëm
- Gjole
- Tërzukë
- Tiranë
- Zezë
- Gjole
Ionian Sea
Black Sea
See also
References
- Cullaj, A.; Hasko, A.; Miho, A.; Schanz, F.; Brandl, H.; Bachofen, R. (2005). "The quality of Albanian natural waters and the human impact". Environment International. 31 (1): 137. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2004.06.008. PMID 15607787.
- Agim SELENICA. "WATER RESOURCES OF ALBANIA". medhycos.mpl.ird.fr.
- Qiriazi, Perikli (2001). Gjeografia Fizike e Shqipërisë. Tiranë: Ideart. pp. 101–108. ISBN 978-99956-29-80-9.
- Pano, Niko (2015). Pasuritë ujore të Shqipërisë. Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë. p. 636. ISBN 978-99956-10-87-6.
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