Vardar

Vardar
Vardar (), Axios ()

Vardar in Veles Origin Mouth Vrutok, near Gostivar Aegean Sea, near Thessaloniki [1] 403027N 22433E Coordinates:

403027N 22433E [1]

Basin countries Republic of Macedonia, Greece Length 388 km

The Vardar or Axios (Macedonian: Wikipedia:Media helpFile:Mk-Vardar.ogg; Greek: Axis or Vardrs) is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is 388km (241mi) long, and drains an area of around 25,000km2 (9,653sqmi). The maximum depth of the river is 4m (13ft).

Veles Gorge

Vardar

Vardar in Skopje: the Stone Bridge.

Axios (Vardar) river in Grece.

Vardar

3 The river rises at Vrutok, a few kilometers north of Gostivar in the Republic of Macedonia. It passes through Gostivar, Skopje and into Veles, crosses the Greek border near Gevgelija, Polykastro and Axioupoli ("town on the Axis"), before emptying into the Aegean Sea in Central Macedonia west of Thessaloniki in northern Greece. The Vardar basin includes two-thirds of the territory of the Republic of Macedonia. The area is sometimes called "Vardar Macedonia" after the river, to distinguish it from Greek Macedonia and Blagoevgrad Province, also known as "Pirin Macedonia," in Bulgaria.

The valley comprises fertile lands in Polog, and Thessaloniki prefectures and Gevgelija and other parts. The river is surrounded by mountains elsewhere. The superhighways Greek National Road 1 in Greece and M1 and E75 run within the valley along the river's entire length to near Skopje.
Map of northwestern Republic of Macedonia including the source of the Vardar

The river has been very famous in the Ottoman Empire and modern day Turkey and was inspiration for many folk songs, most famous of which is the song Vardar Ovasi. The river is depicted on the coat of arms of Skopje, which in turn is incorporated in the city's flag.[2]

Vardaris/Vardarec wind
The Vardaris or Vardarec is a powerful prevailing northerly ravine wind which blows across the river valley in Greek Macedonia as well as in the Republic of Macedonia. At first it descends along the "canal" of the Vardar valley, usually as a breeze. When it encounters the high mountains that separate Greece from the Republic of Macedonia, it descends the other side, gathering a tremendous momentum and bringing cold conditions to the city of Thessaloniki and the Axios delta. Somewhat similar to the mistral wind of France, it occurs when atmospheric pressure over eastern Europe is higher than over the Aegean Sea, as is often the case in winter.

Etymology
The most accepted theory on the origin of the name Vardar derives Bardrios from Thracian, from PIE *(s)wordo-wori- 'black water'[3] (cf. German schwarz 'black', Latin susum 'dirt', Ossetian xuarn 'color', Persian xvl 'lampblack', Old Irish sorb 'stain, dirt').[4] This can be considered a translation or similar meaning of Axios, itself Thracian for 'not-shining' from PIE *n.-sk(e)i (cf. Avestan axana 'dark-coloured'),[5] and found in another name at the mouth of the Danube, Axopa "dark water", renamed in Slavic Crna voda 'black water'.[6] The name Bardrios () was sometimes used by the Ancient Greeks in the 3rd Century BCE; the same name was widely used during the Byzantine era. In Albanian, the word varda means a place where two creeks or rivers join together, or the joint flow of two rivers.[7] The etymology of the word is unclear, although the Vardar river, in fact, has Lepenac as a major tributary. The word is also an adverb meaning "consecutively" or "actively" and may be related to its synonym varda(whose dictionary

Vardar definition also includes "freely" or "unimpeded") and the verb vardoj/me vardue, which means "to work (extensively)."[8] The words may ultimately derive from the Indo-European root *wer-, which is also the source of the English word "to work." Its Greek name Axios () is mentioned by Homer (Il. 21.141, Il. 2.849)[9] as the home of the Paeonians, allies of Troy.

References
[1] http:/ / tools. wmflabs. org/ geohack/ geohack. php?pagename=Vardar& params=40_30_27_N_22_43_3_E_ [2] Official portal of the city of Skopje: City symbols (http:/ / www. skopje. gov. mk/ EN/ DesktopDefault. aspx?tabindex=0& tabid=34). Retrieved on 13 May 2009. [3] Orel, Vladimir. A Handbook of Germanic Etymology. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2003: 392. [4] Mallory, J.P. and D.Q. Adams. Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. London: Fitzroy and Dearborn, 1997: 147 [5] Mallory, J.P. and D.Q. Adams. Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. London: Fitzroy and Dearborn, 1997, p. 146 [6] Katiic', Radoslav. Ancient Languages of the Balkans. Paris: Mouton, 1976: 149 [7] ASHASH, Fjalori i Gjuhs s Sotme Shqipe, 1982 [8] Ibid. [9] Axios, Georg Autenrieth, A Homeric Dictionary, at Perseus (http:/ / www. perseus. tufts. edu/ cgi-bin/ ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999. 04. 0073:entry=#1109)

External links
Proceedings of the 1st Axios Catchment Consortium Meeting (http://www.iia.cnr.it/rende/big_file/ EUROCAT/minutes/Axios family meeting.htm) by the European Commission - DG Research. PIM "Ivan Milutinovi", Belgrade, Serbia (http://www.pim.co.rs); Morava - Vardar (Axios) Navigation Route (http://danube-cooperation.com/danubius/2011/11/28/morava-vardar-axios-navigation-route/) (About 1,200km shorter route (three days shorter time of navigation) from Belgrade to Port of Thessaloniki than across Danube, Black Sea and Agean Sea. Electric power production, improvement of water quality and regulation of flooding wave.) Morava - Vardar (Axios) Navigation Route map (http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/5984/ moravavardargd5.jpg) Hydropower and navigation system "Morava" (http://wayback.archive.org/web/*/http://www.grf.bg.ac.rs/ mjovanovic/PapersS/MoravaBMJSistem.pdf) (Concepts of regulation of rivers Great Morava and South Morava for navigation and hydropower production.)

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Vardar Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=570065628 Contributors: 3210, 3rdAlcove, Aldux, Alex '05, Alex earlier account, AnnaFrance, Aramgar, Azzatiwatas, BalkanFever, Big Bird, Bogdangiusca, BokicaK, Bomac, Catalographer, Chet and Baker, Chowbok, ChrisO, Chronographos, Darlene4, Darwinek, David Parker, David Straub, Deville, Dimkoa, Doremo, Dr. Blofeld, Dragan.milcevski, Duja, Dybryd, Erianna, Euriditi, Ev, Exozero, Filiki Diaspora, Flauto Dolce, Flibjib8, Frokor, Future Perfect at Sunrise, Gargolla, Giannisf, Green Giant, Guraleci, Gurch, Hede2000, Heracletus, INkubusse, Internedko, Javit, JayCeeA, Jingiby, Johnleemk, Jonathunder, Joy, Kamran the Great, Kapnisma, Kelisi, Kelly Martin, Khoikhoi, Kiril Simeonovski, Klemen Kocjancic, Kupraios, Kusma, Local hero, Lotje, Mabdul, Macedonian, MacedonianBoy, Mactruth, Mallaccaos, Markussep, Maroxelois, Mboverload, Meco, Meelar, MetroStar, Mircea cs, MishaPan, Miskin, Myasuda, NatusRoma, Nikolavladimirov14, Nk, Obradovic Goran, Peccafly, Piano non troppo, Politis, Pumpie, Raven in Orbit, Rich Farmbrough, Rjwilmsi, Sandman1142, Slawojarek, Smb1001, Spitfire, Sysin, T@nn, Tahmasp, Thanosk488, Theathenae, TodorBozhinov, Tomica, Tzetzes, Uannis, Varlaam, Vladko, Zundark, , 133 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Vardar Veles Macedonia.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vardar_Veles_Macedonia.jpg License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: not given, uploaded by mk:: File:Veles Gorge Vardar Macedonia.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Veles_Gorge_Vardar_Macedonia.jpg License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: mk:: File:Vardar Stone Bridge Skopje.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vardar_Stone_Bridge_Skopje.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Acer GER, Apalsola, Banatski, Denniss, Gildemax, Jungpionier, Nard the Bard, PM, Raso mk, , File:Axios river.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Axios_river.jpg License: Creative Commons Zero Contributors: User:Pyraechmes File:Loudspeaker.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Loudspeaker.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Bayo, Frank C. Mller, Gmaxwell, Gnosygnu, Husky, Iamunknown, Mirithing, Myself488, Nethac DIU, Omegatron, Rocket000, Shanmugamp7, Snow Blizzard, The Evil IP address, Trelio, Wouterhagens, 27 anonymous edits File:Northwestern Macedonia.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Northwestern_Macedonia.png License: unknown Contributors: Cartographer of the United Nations, adapted by Dr. Blofeld

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