Var (river)

The Var (Latin: Varus) is a river in southeastern France. It is a right tributary of the Rhône river.It gave its name to the French department of Var. It is a unique case in France of a river not flowing in the department named after it (see Var)

Var (river)
Length114 km (71 mi)

Geography

The Var river has a length of 113.8 km (70.7 mi), and a drainage basin with an area of 2,819 km2 (1,088 sq mi).[1]

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 50.40 m3/s (1,780 cu ft/s) at Nice (Pont Napoléon III) in the Alpes-Maritimes department.[2]

Course

 
Source of the Var in Estenc

The source of the Var is in the small town of Estenc, in the commune of Entraunes, at an altitude of about 1,790 m (5,873 ft), to the south of the Col de la Cayolle, a mountain pass 2,326 m (7,631 ft) high, in the Alpes-Maritimes department.[3] From here, the Var flows, in general, to the southeast.

The Var flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department for most of its length; it flows through the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department for a short distance, about 15 km (9.3 mi).

 
The Var between Nice and Saint-Laurent-du-Var

The Var river flows through 1 region (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), 2 departments and 31 communes. It flows through the following communes, among others:[1]

Finally, it flows into the Mediterranean Sea between Nice and Saint-Laurent-du-Var.[4]

Main tributaries

The five main tributaries of the Var river are:[1]

Left tributaries:

  • Cians - 25 km
  • Tinée - 75 km
  • Vésubie - 48 km

Right tributaries:

  • Coulomp - 20 km
  • Estéron - 66.7 km

Related pages

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Le Var (Y6--0200)" (in français). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  2. "Le Var à Nice [Pont Napoléon III]". Banque Hydro (in français). Ministère de l'Ecologie, du Développement Durable et de l'Energie. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  3. "Source du Var" (in français). Géoportail. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  4. "Embouchure du Var" (in français). Géoportail. Retrieved 20 November 2016.