Danube Delta - a Biosphere Reserve
27 May 2009 | Romania
Norman
"In rivers that have known and which are navigable when you come to Istria and is great ..." note in Herodotus of Halicarnas Histories (484-425 BC), the oldest description of the lands of the Lower Danube , Publius Ovidius Naso (about 10-15d. BC) and he remarked that "... the Danube and higher / Below are the Nile, he does not want any."
The second river in Europe and 26 th in the world, with almost 2900km in length, over 800 000km2dimensiunea basin inhabited by about 80 000 000 inhabitants in eight countries - this would be the visit card of the generous channel of water and that meet the rigid millennium role "high road" known and appreciated "beat" the launch Phoenicians, Greek trireme, hulks Roman Ships and caravels Byzantine, Genoese, Venetian boats, Turkish boats. "Istros in language and mythology Argonauts on the banks Nilului," Phisos "the Phoenicians" Danare "-" Donaris at Thracian-Getae, "Istrus" - "Histr -" Danubius "for the Romans," Rio Divino " at the court of Charles Quint and "Le roi des fluves of Europe in Napoleon Bonaparte's opinion, crosses the Danube in Romania last 1075km ending your way through the Delta - the most representative on the old continent and one of the most complex in the world.
"Entered the lands of our country through a monumental triumphal arch through Deflieul Cazane, Danube left by a huge, incredible, wonderful fan of the Delta" (Geo Bogza). It is an original, unique or: the youngest land in Europe, neighboring some of the old mountains of the planet (Macin, hercinic massive, about 400 million years) - petec water and earth in eternal battle, always Moreover, cobweb of channels, sand banks, backwater, looking tropical forests, river-marine dunes in a vast, permanent metamorphosis. No wonder therefore that the information of historical differ: Herodotus believed that the Danube is divided in 5 to shedding branches, supported by Eratostene Story of Alexandria and greek Polybiu (272-120 I. Hr.) Contradicted the beginning of the millennium Our era of Pont Strabon geographer who has 7 branches, the Roman Pliny the Old convinced they were 6, the Egyptian Claudius Ptolemy (d. cca90-168 BC) returned to the arms 7 of the Danube flowing in the sea, including "Shut up Saint "Maps Middle Ages are not they more consistent, the Danube flows in Marmara ba, ba in the Dardanelles, and if you add and still waters in the Black Sea is an arm draws two-or a 5-6, one lost through the port of Constanta ... Only in 1856 the captain Engley Spratt draws a map closer to reality, that is to contemporaneity, because today things are already different lighthouses installed at Seaside in 1802 (Sulina) and 1865 (St. George) is now at 2 -- 3km return land.
I. Population and settlements
Delta population has a way of life unchanged for centuries. Implantation allowed discrete survival of the amazing ecosystems in the Delta. Tension than water to explain the small number of people (around 22,000 inhabitants), although natural increase is well above the average country (7-80/00). Territorial mobility of known travel and travel for temporary work, study, etc..
Delta's population is grouped in 15 rural villages and 2 cities: Tulcea and Sulina.
Tulcea: gate entrance Delta town with a little under 100 000 inhabitants, built on the site of the Geto-Dacian settlement Aegyssus, dated 2600 years ago, said the current name in 1595 on map of Paolo Giorgi. It is a city based naval, industrial and tourism.
Sulina: the easternmost city of the country, situated at the mouth of Sulina arm, the Romanian city with the lowest elevation (3.5 m), port of entry of vessels shipping on the Danube.