Lika (river)
Encyclopedia
Lika River or Rijeka Lika is a stream in Croatia
which gives its name to the Lika
region. It is known as a sinking river because at the end of its course, it flows into a series of ponors
or swallow-holes and disappears from the surface. The Lika River rises near the village of Kukljić at the foot of the Velebit
Mountains, flows in a northwesterly direction past the town of Gospić
, enters and leaves Lake Krušćica
, and continues to the northwest until it sinks into the karst topography
at ponors near Lipovo Polje.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
which gives its name to the Lika
Lika
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
region. It is known as a sinking river because at the end of its course, it flows into a series of ponors
Ponor
A ponor is a natural surface opening that may be found in landscapes where the geology and the geomorphology is characterized by some kind of karst....
or swallow-holes and disappears from the surface. The Lika River rises near the village of Kukljić at the foot of the Velebit
Velebit
Velebit is the largest though not the highest mountain range in Croatia. Its highest peak is the Vaganski vrh at 1757 m.The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior...
Mountains, flows in a northwesterly direction past the town of Gospić
Gospic
Gospić is a town in the mountainous and sparsely populated region of Lika, Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Lika-Senj county. Gospić is located near the Lika River in the middle of a karst field....
, enters and leaves Lake Krušćica
Lake Krušćica
Lake Krušćica is an artificial lake located in Lika, Croatia. It is administratively divided between the municipalities of Gospić and Perušić of the Lika-Senj County. The total lake area is , while its elevation is 554 m.a.s.l.-References:...
, and continues to the northwest until it sinks into the karst topography
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
at ponors near Lipovo Polje.