Daugava

Daugava Latgalian: Daugova, German: Düna or Western Dvina Russian: Западная Двина Západnaya Dviná, English: Western Dvina; Belarusian: Заходняя Дзвіна; Estonian: Väina; Finnish: Väinäjoki is a large river rising in a Valdai Hills of Russia that flows through Belarus then Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. It risesto the character of the Volga. Its length is 1,020 km 630 mi, of which 325 km 202 mi are in Russia. this is the a westward-flowing river, tracing out a great curve towards its south which means it passes through northern Belarus.

Latvia's capital, Riga bridges the estuary four times, lying on both banks, the city centre being 15 kilometres 9.3 mi from the mouth and being a significant port.

History

Humans pretend settled at the mouth of the Daugava in addition to around the other shores of the Gulf of Riga for millennia, initially participating in a hunter-gatherer economy and utilizing the waters of the Daugava estuary as fishing and gathering areas for aquatic biota. Beginning around the sixth century AD, Viking explorers crossed the Baltic Sea and entered the Daugava River, navigating upriver into the Baltic interior.

In medieval times the Daugava was an important area of trading and navigation - element of the ]