The Volga, Europe's longest river and the principal waterway of Russia, arises in the Valdai Hills northwest of Moscow and flows southeastward for 2,290 miles (3,685 kilometers) to empty into the Caspian Sea. Known as Mother Volga, it is a symbol of Russia and is a central theme in many songs and stories.
The Volga and its approximately 200 tributaries drain an area of about 525,100 square miles (1,360,000 square kilometers).
The river's course consists of three parts—the Upper Volga, the Middle Volga, and the Lower Volga. The Upper Volga becomes the Middle Volga at its meeting with the Oka River east of Moscow. Farther east the Middle Volga meets the Kama River, the largest of the Volga's tributaries. The Lower Volga flows south from this point.
The Volga is important to Russia's economy. Although it is frozen during the long Russian winter, the Volga River has always been an important transportation route. Many dams and reservoirs have been built in an attempt to regulate the waters of the Volga River system and to encourage the economic development of the region.
The land on either side of the Volga is the most heavily populated and highly industrialized area in Russia. The cities of Moscow, Gorky, Kazan, and Volgograd are located on the Volga and its branches. Besides providing a means of transportation, the river serves the Russian people as a source of electric power and water.
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