Rivers of Lithuania are typical lowland rivers: they are slow, they make meander

Meander

A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...

s, the valleys are wide. Because of abundant precipitation, the river net is dense: on the average 0.99 km of rivers flow in 1 km² of the territory. However, the rivers are not evenly distributed. The highest density is in the Samogitia

Samogitia

Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...

n Highlands where it rains more often and in the northern Lithuania where the soil has clay and it does not allow the water to drain underground. The lowest density is in the southeastern Lithuania where the soil has a lot sand and the rainwater quickly ooze into the underground.

Almost 70% (some 49,600 km²) of the territory of Lithuania are drained by the Neman River

Neman River

Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...

 and its tributaries. The other 5 river basins are small and located nears the borders: Mūša-Nemunėlis (Lielupe

Lielupe

The Lielupe is a river in central Latvia. Its length is 119 km . The surface area of its basin is 17,600 km²...

; 8,976 km²), Venta

Venta River

Venta River is a river in north-western Lithuania and western Latvia. Its source is near Kuršėnai in the Lithuanian Šiauliai County. It flows into the Baltic Sea at Ventspils in Latvia....

 (5,140 km²), Daugava (1,857 km²), small rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...

 (2,523 km²) and Pregolya

Pregolya

The Pregolya or Pregola is a river in the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast exclave.It starts as a confluence of the Instruch and the Angrapa and drains into the Baltic Sea through Vistula Lagoon. Its length under the name of Pregolya is 123 km, 292 km including the Angrapa. The basin has an...

 (54 km²). During the winter all rivers freeze over. In the spring almost all rivers flood from melting snow and ice. However, usually only in the Neman River delta the water bursts out of the valley. Nowadays floods are controlled by dams and also due to drainage most rivers have lower water levels than they used to have. In the western Lithuania rivers tend to irregularly flood during the fall because of excessive rains. In the eastern Lithuania rivers tend to discharge a constant amount of water because they are regulated by flow-through lakes and sandy soil, which quickly absorbs any excess rain or snow water.

During the Soviet times (1945-1990) rivers suffered a lot of damage because of drainage

Drainage

Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...

. Many swamps were drained and now they cannot feed the rivers anymore. Other smaller rivers were straightened and turned into drainage canals.

Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

 counts around 29 thousand watercourses, longer than 0.25 km. The total length of all these watercourses would be around 65,000 km. The number of rivers and rivulets longer than 3 km has been calculated very precisely – 4,418. 758 rivers are longer than 10 km. Lithuania has 21 rivers longer than 100 km (62.1 mi):

Longest rivers

#	Name	Length (km)		Mouth	Most important cities
		Total	In Lithuania
1	Nemunas Neman River Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...	937	475	Curonian Lagoon Curonian Lagoon The Curonian Lagoon is separated from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian Spit. Its surface area is . The Neman River supplies about 90% of its inflows; its watershed consists of about 100,450 square kilometers in Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Oblast.-Human history:In the 13th century, the area around...	Hrodna Hrodna Grodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants... , Druskininkai Druskininkai Druskininkai is a spa town on the Neman River in southern Lithuania, close to the borders of Belarus and Poland. The city of Druskininkai has a population of 18,233 and dates back as a spa resort to the 19th century.-Names:... , Alytus Alytus Alytus is a city with municipal rights in southern Lithuania. It is the capital of Alytus County. Its population in 2007 was 68,835. Alytus is the historical centre of the Dzūkija region. The city lies on the banks of the Nemunas River. The major highways linking Vilnius, Kaunas, Lazdijai, and... , Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation... , Sovetsk Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast Sovetsk , known by its historical German name of Tilsit in East Prussia before 1946, is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River. Population: -History of Tilsit:...
2	Neris Neris Neris is a river rising in Belarus, flowing through Vilnius and becoming a tributary of the Neman River at Kaunas...	510	235	Nemunas	Vilnius Vilnius Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County... , Kernavė Kernave Kernavė was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archeological site . It is located in the Širvintos district municipality located in southeast Lithuania... , Jonava Jonava Jonava is the ninth largest city in Lithuania with a population of ca 35,000.It is located in Kaunas County in central Lithuania, north east of Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. It is served by Kaunas International Airport. The largest fertilizer factory in the Baltic states is... , Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
3	Venta River Venta River Venta River is a river in north-western Lithuania and western Latvia. Its source is near Kuršėnai in the Lithuanian Šiauliai County. It flows into the Baltic Sea at Ventspils in Latvia....	346	161	Baltic Sea Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...	Venta Venta Venta is a small city in Lithuania in the Akmenė district municipality. According to 2005 data there are 3,221 people living in Venta. It is situated along the Venta River, Kuršėnai-Mažeikiai highway, and a railroad connecting Mažeikiai with Šiauliai... , Kuldīga Kuldiga Kuldīga is a town in western Latvia. It is the center of Kuldīga municipality with a population of approximately 13,500.Kuldīga was first mentioned in 1242. It joined the Hanseatic League in 1368... , Ventspils Ventspils Ventspils is a city in northwestern Latvia in the Courland historical region of Latvia, the sixth largest city in the country. As of 2006, Ventspils had a population of 43,806. Ventspils is situated on the Venta River and the Baltic Sea, and has an ice-free port...
4	Šešupė	298	209	Nemunas	Marijampolė Marijampole Marijampolė is an industrial city and the capital of the Marijampolė County in the south of Lithuania, bordering Poland and Russian Kaliningrad oblast, and Lake Vištytis. The population of Marijampolė is 48,700... , Kudirkos Naumiestis Kudirkos Naumiestis Kudirkos Naumiestis is in the Šakiai district municipality, Lithuania. It is located south-west of Šakiai.The settlement was first mentioned in 1561 as a village called Duoliebaičiai. In 1639 the town was renamed Vladislavovas by Cecilia Renata of Austria after her husband Władysław IV Vasa. He... , Krasnoznamensk
5	Šventoji Šventoji River The Šventoji River is the longest river that flows entirely within Lithuania and the largest tributary of the Neris River. It originates from the Lake Samanis in the Gražutė Regional Park and flows into Neris near Jonava. The longest tributary of the Šventoji is the Širvinta River.The Šventoji...	246	246	Neris Neris Neris is a river rising in Belarus, flowing through Vilnius and becoming a tributary of the Neman River at Kaunas...	Anykščiai Anykšciai Anykščiai is a ski resort town in Lithuania, 20 miles west of Utena. The Roman Catholic Church of St. Matthias in Anykščiai is the tallest church in Lithuania, with spires measuring 79 meters in height.The city has a football club FK Anykščiai.-Name:... , Kavarskas Kavarskas Kavarskas , with a population of only 700, is the fourth smallest city in Lithuania. The Šventoji River flows through the town. In 1956 near Kavarskas a water lifting station was built and part of the Šventoji River's water was channeled to the Nevėžis River... , Ukmergė Ukmerge -Early history:Ukmergė was first mentioned as a settlement in 1333. It was essentially a wooden fortress that stood on a hill, near the confluence of the Vilkmergė River and the Šventoji River. Ukmergė was attacked by the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order in 1333, 1365, 1378, 1386, and even...
6	Nevėžis Nevežis River Nevėžis River is the sixth longest river in Lithuania and one of the main tributaries of the Neman River. Its length is , and it flows only within the geographical confines of Lithuania. It is the second longest river in Lithuania, after the Šventoji River, that flows exclusively within its borders...	209	209	Nemunas	Panevėžys Panevežys Panevėžys see also other names, is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2008, it occupied 50 square kilometers with 113,653 inhabitants. The largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys is the Cido Arena... , Kėdainiai Kedainiai Kėdainiai is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is located on the Nevėžis River. First mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle of Hermann de Wartberge, its population as of 2008 was 30,214. Its old town dates to the 17th century....
7	Merkys	203	190	Nemunas	Baltoji Vokė Baltoji Voke Baltoji Vokė is a city in the Vilnius County, Lithuania. It is located west from Šalčininkai.... , Merkinė Merkine Merkinė is a town in Dzūkija National Park in Lithuania, located at the confluence of the Merkys and Neman Rivers.First mentioned in 1359, Merkinė is one of the oldest Lithuanian settlements. It received the Magdeburg rights in 1569. The town is the location of The Mount of Queen Bona, a mound...
8	Minija Minija Minija is a river in western Lithuania and a tributary to Nemunas. It begins from small Lake Didovas, and hidrografically from lake Sydeklis, 14 km south of Telšiai...	202	202	Nemunas Delta Nemunas Delta Nemunas Delta is the Lithuanian name for the Neman River Delta, in Lithuania.When it reaches the Baltic Sea, the Neman splits into a maze of river branches and canals, forming polders and wetlands that make it a very attractive destination for eco-tourism. The four main distributaries are Atmata,...	Salantai Salantai Salantai is a small city in Lithuania. It is located in the Klaipėda County, Kretinga district.-History:This town is known for two famed rabbis: Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin Salanter and his teacher Rabbi Zundel Salant, who spent most of his life in Salantai.... , Gargždai Gargždai Gargždai is a city in western Lithuania located in Klaipėda County. The Minija River flows through the city. Gargždai Stadium is its main sports venue.Gargždai is the Lithuanian name of the city... , Priekulė Priekule Priekule is a town in southwestern Latvia.-History:Priekule is first mentioned as a fortified manor in 1483 but only began to grow as a town after 1871 when the Liepaja - Vilnius railway was built through Priekule. It was granted town rights in 1928 by the Latvian government.-References:...
9	Nemunėlis Nemunelis Nemunėlis is a river in northern Lithuania and southern Latvia. It originates 6 km south of Rokiškis. It is 191 kilometres long before its confluence with the Mūša, near Bauska, forming the Lielupe.This river does not belong to the basin of the larger river Neman, but the two rivers' names are...	199	160	Lielupe Lielupe The Lielupe is a river in central Latvia. Its length is 119 km . The surface area of its basin is 17,600 km²...
10	Dysna Dysna Dysna is a river that flows through Lithuania and Belarus into the Daugava River near the town of Dzisna.The river originates from Lake Parsvėtas, near Dūkštas, Ignalina district municipality. It flows through Lake Dysnai and Lake Dysnykštis. Near Kačergiškės it turns east and for 39 km flows...	173	58	Daugava
11	Jūra Jura -Mountains:*Jura mountains, on the French-Swiss-German border, the namesake of the Jurassic period of geology*Franconian Jura, a mountain range in southeastern Germany*Bernese Jura, a region in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland...	172	172	Nemunas	Rietavas Rietavas Rietavas is a city in Lithuania on the Jūra River. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 3,979. It is the capital of Rietavas municipality.The city is famous for building the first power station to produce electricity in Lithuania in 1892... , Tauragė Taurage Tauragė is an industrial city in Lithuania, and the capital of Tauragė County. In 2011, its population was 26,444. Tauragė is situated on the Jūra River, close to the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast, and not far from the Baltic Sea coast....
12	Mūša Muša Mūša is a river in Northern Lithuania and Southern Latvia , having its confluence with river Nemunėlis , in Latvia, near city Bauska. Mūša is a tributary of the river Lielupė. Mūša is 164 kilometres long....	157	140	Lielupe Lielupe The Lielupe is a river in central Latvia. Its length is 119 km . The surface area of its basin is 17,600 km²...
13	Lėvuo Levuo Lėvuo is a river in Northern Lithuania, tributary of the river Mūša. Lėvuo is 148 kilometres long. In 1931 Sanžilė channel, connecting Lėvuo and Nevėžis rivers was built. Biggest tributary rivers of Lėvuo are Mituva, Svalia, Kupa....	145	145	Mūša Muša Mūša is a river in Northern Lithuania and Southern Latvia , having its confluence with river Nemunėlis , in Latvia, near city Bauska. Mūša is a tributary of the river Lielupė. Mūša is 164 kilometres long....	Bauska Bauska Bauska is a town in Bauska municipality, in the Zemgale region of southern Latvia. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Mūsa and Mēmele where they form the Lielupe River...
14	Šušvė Šušve Šušvė is a river in central Lithuania. It begins in Kelmė district municipality, 6 km southeast from Tytuvėnai. The river passes through Tytuvėnai and Sulinkiai Marshes and flows south through Radviliškis district municipality. Finally, Šušvė passes through Kėdainiai district municipality and...	135	135	Nevėžis Nevežis River Nevėžis River is the sixth longest river in Lithuania and one of the main tributaries of the Neman River. Its length is , and it flows only within the geographical confines of Lithuania. It is the second longest river in Lithuania, after the Šventoji River, that flows exclusively within its borders...
15	Dubysa Dubysa Dubysa, at 131 km, is the 15th longest river in Lithuania. It originates just a few kilometers from Lake Rėkyva near Šiauliai city. At first it flows south, but at Lyduvėnai turns southeast and near Ariogala - southwest. Dubysa is a Samogitian river...	131	131	Nemunas	Šiauliai Šiauliai Šiauliai , is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 133,900. It is the capital of Šiauliai County. Unofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania.-Names:... , Ariogala Ariogala Ariogala is a city in central Lithuania. It is located on the Dubysa River, which flows through the city.-Name:Ariogala is the Lithuanian name of the city. Versions of the name in other languages include Polish: Ejragoła, Russian: Эйрагола Eiragola, Belarusian: Эйрагола Eirahola, Yiddish:...
16	Širvinta	129	129	Šventoji River Šventoji River The Šventoji River is the longest river that flows entirely within Lithuania and the largest tributary of the Neris River. It originates from the Lake Samanis in the Gražutė Regional Park and flows into Neris near Jonava. The longest tributary of the Šventoji is the Širvinta River.The Šventoji...	Širvintos Širvintos Širvintos is a city in Vilnius County in the eastern part of Lithuania. It is the administrative center of the Širvintos district municipality.The word Širvintos is the plural form of the name of the Širvinta River, which flows through the city....
17	Švėtė Svete -Towns, villages and settlements of Svēte parish:*...	118	50	Lielupe Lielupe The Lielupe is a river in central Latvia. Its length is 119 km . The surface area of its basin is 17,600 km²...	Žagarė Žagare Žagarė is a city located in the Joniškis district, northern Lithuania, close to the border with Latvia. It has a population of about 2,000.-Names:Foreign renderings of the name include: , , .-History:The foundation of Žagarė dates back to the 12th century...
18	Šešuvis Šešuvis The Šešuvis is a river in western Lithuania and the main tributary of the Jūra River. Šešuvis begins northwest of Raseiniai and flows mostly in the southwest direction. Its main tributaries are the Ančia, Šaltuona, Agluona, Žalpė, and Įkojis rivers. There are almost no lakes in Šešuvis' basin...	115	115	Jūra Jura -Mountains:*Jura mountains, on the French-Swiss-German border, the namesake of the Jurassic period of geology*Franconian Jura, a mountain range in southeastern Germany*Bernese Jura, a region in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland...
19	Kotra River Kotra River Kotra River is a long river in Belarus and Lithuania. The river is known due to a rare phenomenon of river bifurcation.At first Kotra and Ūla Rivers form one river, known as Pelesa River. Pelesa originates in Belarus and flows in northwestern direction...	109	24	Nemunas
20	Mituva Mituva Mituva is a river in the western part of Lithuania . It is a tributary of the Nemunas River. The Mituva originates 8 km to the northwest of Ariogala and just 1 km from the Dubysa river. It flows to the west and after confluence with the Vidauja river turns to the southeast...	102	102	Nemunas	Jurbarkas Jurbarkas Jurbarkas is a city in Tauragė County, Lithuania. It is on the right-hand shore of the Neman River at its confluence with the tributaries Mituva and Imsre...
21	Bartuva Bartuva Bartuva , also named Bārta and Bartów , is a river in western Lithuania and Latvia. It originates in the Plungė district, 3 km to north of Lake Plateliai. The Bartuva flows in a northwesterly direction, passing through the Skuodas district and the city of Skuodas, before entering Latvia...	101	55	Baltic Sea Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...	Skuodas Skuodas Skuodas is a city located in Klaipeda County, in northwestern Lithuania, on the border with Latvia. The Bartuva river flows through the town....

The Virvyčia (99.7 km) is just shy of the 100 km limit. The length of the Žeimena

Žeimena

The Žeimena River is a river in Aukštaitija, eastern Lithuania, and right tributary of Neris River. Žeimena begins in Labanoras Forest and at Lake Žeimenys. Žeimena flows to the south passing Kaltanėnai town, Švenčionėliai city, and Pabradė city. Its confluence with Neris is located near the border...

is an object of discussion; it could be up to 114 km.

Note: length in Lithuania also includes the length of rivers when they serve as borders with neighboring countries.