Meuse

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Map of River Meuse (Belgium) - Maas (Denmark)

Meuse (मेउस/मोसा नदी) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of 925 km.

Variants

• Meuse River
• Meuse river
• Maas
• Latin name - Mosa
• /mjuːz/ MYOOZ, /mɜːz/, US also /mɜːrz, mʌz/ MU(R)Z,[2][3][4]
• French: [møz];
• Walloon: Moûze [muːs]) or Maas (/mɑːs/ MAHSS),
• Dutch: [maːs];
• Limburgish: Maos [ˈmɔːs] or Maas [ˈmaːs])

Etymology

The name Meuse is derived from the French name of the river, derived from its Latin name, Mosa, which ultimately derives from the Celtic or Proto-Celtic name *Mosā. This probably derives from the same root as English "maze", referring to the river's twists and turns.

The Dutch name Maas descends from Middle Dutch Mase, which comes from the presumed but unattested Old Dutch form *Masa, from Proto-Germanic *Masō. Modern Dutch and German Maas and Limburgish Maos preserve this Germanic form. Despite the similarity, the Germanic name is not derived from the Celtic name, judging from the change from earlier o into a, which is characteristic of the Germanic languages.

Geography

The Meuse rises in Pouilly-en-Bassigny, commune of Le Châtelet-sur-Meuse on the Langres plateau in France from where it flows northwards past Sedan (the head of navigation) and Charleville-Mézières into Belgium.

At Namur it is joined by the Sambre. Beyond Namur the Meuse winds eastwards, skirting the Ardennes, and passes Liège before turning north. The river then forms part of the Belgian-Dutch border, except that at Maastricht the border lies further to the west. In the Netherlands it continues northwards through Venlo closely along the border to Germany, then turns towards the west, where it runs parallel to the Waal and forms part of the extensive Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, together with the Scheldt in its south and the Rhine in the north. The river has been divided near Heusden into the Afgedamde Maas on the right and the Bergse Maas on the left. The Bergse Maas continues under the name of Amer, which is part of De Biesbosch. The Afgedamde Maas joins the Waal, the main stem of the Rhine at Woudrichem, and then flows under the name of Boven Merwede to Hardinxveld-Giessendam, where it splits into Nieuwe Merwede and Beneden Merwede. Near Lage Zwaluwe, the Nieuwe Merwede joins the Amer, forming the Hollands Diep, which splits into Grevelingen and Haringvliet, before finally flowing into the North Sea.

Tributaries

The main tributaries of the Meuse are listed below in downstream-upstream order, with the town where the tributary meets the river:

• Dieze (near 's-Hertogenbosch)
  • Aa (in 's-Hertogenbosch)
  • Binnendieze (in 's-Hertogenbosch)
  • Dommel (in 's-Hertogenbosch)
    • Gender (in Eindhoven)
• Raam (in Grave)
• Niers (in Gennep)
• Swalm (in Swalmen)
• Rur/Roer (in Roermond)
  • Wurm (in Heinsberg, Germany)
  • Merzbach (in Linnich, Germany)
  • Inde (in Jülich, Germany)
• Geleenbeek (near Maasbracht)
• Geul (near Meerssen)
• Geer/Jeker (in Maastricht)
• Voer/Fouron (in Eijsden)
• Berwinne/Berwijn (near Moelingen, part of Voeren)
• Ourthe (in Liège)
  • Weser/Vesdre (near Liège)
  • Amel/Amblève (in Comblain-au-Pont)
    • Salm (in Trois-Ponts)
    • Warche (near Malmedy)
• Hoyoux (in Huy)
• Mehaigne (in Wanze)
• Sambre (in Namur)
• Houyoux (in Namur)
• Bocq (in Yvoir)
• Molignée (in Anhée)
• Lesse (in Anseremme, part of Dinant)
• Viroin (in Vireux-Molhain)
• Faux (in Revin)
• Semois or Semoy (in Monthermé)
• Sormonne (in Warcq)
• Bar (near Dom-le-Mesnil)
• Chiers (in Bazeilles)
  • Othain (in Montmédy)
• Vair (in Maxey-sur-Meuse)
• Mouzon (in Neufchâteau, Vosges)
• Saônelle (in Coussey)

References

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