Esla (river)
Encyclopedia
The Esla is a river in the provinces of León and Zamora in the northwest of Spain
. It is a tributary of the Duero River which starts in the Cantabrian Mountains
and has 286 km of length, crossing from north to south the provinces of León and Zamora. It is the largest tribuary of the Duero in terms of discharge; in fact, at its mouth, it has a greater discharge than the Duero itself does at that point.
The official source of the river is in the Leonese town Maraña
, in the place known as "la Fuente Maraña".
This river was known as the Astura to the Ancient Romans, from which the Asturian people
took their name, the ancestors of the modern inhabitants of Asturia and León, living on both sides of the Cantabrian Mountains. Many of the toponyms in the area owe their name to the river; for example, Villafalé ("Villa Fértil a orillas del Río Astura"), "Vega del Esla", "Mansilla del Esla", etc.
In the 19th century the Canal del Esla was built to irrigate the Vega de Toral.
The principal tributaries of the Esla are:
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...
. It is a tributary of the Duero River which starts in the Cantabrian Mountains
Cantabrian Mountains
The Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.They extend for more than approximately 180 miles across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the edges of the Galician Massif close to Galicia, along the coast of the...
and has 286 km of length, crossing from north to south the provinces of León and Zamora. It is the largest tribuary of the Duero in terms of discharge; in fact, at its mouth, it has a greater discharge than the Duero itself does at that point.
The official source of the river is in the Leonese town Maraña
Maraña
Maraña is a small village in Spain in the province of León, in the Picos de Europa, close to Asturias.The major festival is August 15, the Festival of Our Lady of Riosol-External links:*Location of Maraña...
, in the place known as "la Fuente Maraña".
This river was known as the Astura to the Ancient Romans, from which the Asturian people
Asturian people
The Asturians are one of the nationalisms of Spain, issuing from the historical country of the Principality of Asturias. They have Celtiberian heritage, related to its historical and cultural links with neighbouring Galicia, as well as Visigothic cultural influences most notably found in the...
took their name, the ancestors of the modern inhabitants of Asturia and León, living on both sides of the Cantabrian Mountains. Many of the toponyms in the area owe their name to the river; for example, Villafalé ("Villa Fértil a orillas del Río Astura"), "Vega del Esla", "Mansilla del Esla", etc.
In the 19th century the Canal del Esla was built to irrigate the Vega de Toral.
The principal tributaries of the Esla are:
- Bernesga River
- Cea RiverCea RiverThe Cea River is a river of northeastern Spain. It is an affluent of the Esla River, and its course runs through the provinces of León, Valladolid, and Zamora. It is 157 km long. Its source lies in the municipality of Prioro, in León province. It arises from the spring called Fuente del...
- Órbigo River
- Porma River
- Tera River
- Aliste River