Minho River
Encyclopedia
- Rio Minho redirects here. For the river of that name in Jamaica, see Rio Minho (Jamaica)Rio Minho (Jamaica)At the Rio Minho is the longest river in Jamaica. It rises close to the island's geographic centre, flows generally south-southwest and reaches the Caribbean Sea at Carlisle Bay in the central south coast, to the west of the island's southernmost point, Portland Point.The town of May Pen,...
The Minho (ˈmiɲu) or Miño (ˈmiɲo, ˈmiɲo) is the longest river in Galicia, Spain, with an extension of 340 km.
Both names come from Latin Minius. The Minho waters vineyards and farmland, is used to produce hydroelectric power, and also delineates a section of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
/Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
border.
The source of the Minho lies about 50 km north of Lugo
Lugo
Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 97,635 in 2010, which makes is the fourth most populated city in Galicia.-Population:...
in Galicia, in a place called Pedregal of Irimia. The river passes just south of the walls of this old Roman city and flows south through canyons until the valley widens north of Ourense
Ourense
Ourense is a city in northwestern Spain, the capital of the province of the same name in Galicia. Its population of 108,674 accounts for 30% of the population of the province and makes it the third largest city of Galicia.-Population:...
. The river has been harnessed in reservoirs from Portomarín
Portomarín
Portomarín is a municipality in the Spanish province of Lugo. It has a population of 2008 and an area of 115 km². It is part of El camino francés de Santiago.- New village :...
to Frieira. In its length it has the following reservoirs: Belesar with 654 hm³, Peares with 182 hm³, Velle with 17 hm³, Castrelo with 60 hm³ and Frieira with 44 hm³.
Twenty kilometers north of Ourense at Os Peares the Minho receives the waters of its main tributary, the Sil. Passing Ourense, the river flows in a southwest direction until reaching the Portuguese border near Melgaço. There is one major dam at Frieira near the town of Ribadavia, which is famous for its Ribeiro
Ribeiro
Ribeiro is a surname common in Galicia, Portugal and Brazil. It is also a wine-making region of Southeast central Galicia.* Jose F Ribeiro Providence RI*Adriano Leite Ribeiro, Brazilian football striker born 1982*Alfonso Ribeiro, American actor...
wine (called after the name of the region).
The Portuguese Minho divides the two countries for about 80 km. The valley is a lush, green agricultural area where every square metre of land is used to produce corn, potatoes, cabbage, or just grass, depending on the time of year, and everywhere edging the fields, rivers and gardens, wherever there is space, the vines which produce the light, slightly sparkling “Vinho Verde” peculiar to this area. The very best of these, Alvarinho, is produced in the area around Monção
Monção
Monção is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 211.3 km² and a total population of 19,738 inhabitants .The municipality is composed of 33 freguesias , and is located in the district of Viana do Castelo....
and Melgaço.
Caminha
Caminha is a municipality in the north-west of Portugal, 21 km north from Viana do Castelo, located in the Viana do Castelo District.The municipality has a total area of 137.4 km² and 16,839 inhabitants ....
.
Right
- PontevedraPontevedra (province)Pontevedra is a province of Spain along the country's Atlantic coast in southwestern Europe. The province forms the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Galicia...
- Río Tamuxe (also called Carballas, Carballo or Carvallo)
- Río Pego
- Río Cereixo da Brinha
- Río Furnia (also called Forcadela)
- Río Louro
- Río Caselas
- Río Tea
- Río Deva (there is another Deva River on the left bank)
- Río Ribadil
- Río Cea
- OurenseOurense (province)Ourense is a province of northwestern Spain, in the southeastern part of the Autonomous Community of Galicia. It is bordered by the provinces of Pontevedra in the west, Lugo in the north, León and Zamora in the east, and by Portugal in the south. With an area of 7,278 square km it is the only...
- Río Avia
- Río Barbantiño
- Río Bubal
- LugoLugo (province)Lugo is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Galicia. It is bordered by the provinces of Ourense, Pontevedra, and A Coruña, the principality of Asturias, the State of León, and in the north by the Cantabrian Sea .The population is 356,595 , of...
- Río Asma
- Río Narón
- Río Ferreira
- Río Mera
- Río Narla
- Río Ladra
- Río Támoga
- Río Anllo
Left
- PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
- Rio Mouro
- Rio Gadanha
- Rio Coura
- OurenseOurense (province)Ourense is a province of northwestern Spain, in the southeastern part of the Autonomous Community of Galicia. It is bordered by the provinces of Pontevedra in the west, Lugo in the north, León and Zamora in the east, and by Portugal in the south. With an area of 7,278 square km it is the only...
- Río Deva
- Río Arnoia
- Río Barbaña
- Río Lonia
- Sil RiverSil RiverThe Sil is a river in León and Galicia, Spain, a tributary of the Miño. Its total length is 225 km. The source of the Sil is in the Cantabrian Mountains in the Leonese town of Villablino. It flows through the provinces of León and Ourense. The largest city on the Sil is Ponferrada...
- Río Sardiñeira
- Río Loio
- Río Neira
- Río Chamoso
- Río Robra (also called río Santa Marta)
- Río Lea
- Río Azúmar