Dnestr

Dnestr (ancient Tyras or Danastris; Russian Dnestr; Ukrainian Dnister; Romanian Nistru), river, western Ukraine and eastern Moldova, about 1,370 km (850 mi) long. Also called Dniester, it rises in the Carpathian Mountains, near Drohobych in Ukraine, and flows in a generally south-eastern direction, partly along the eastern boundary of Moldova, and empties into the Black Sea, near Odesa. The broad estuary of the river comprises several arms that form a marshy lagoon, called the Dnestr Lyman. The average width of the river is 152 to 229 m (500 to 750 ft); the maximum width is about 427 m (1,400 ft). For about 70 days of winter, a large part of the Dnestr is frozen.

The Dnestr drains an area of about 77,700 sq km (30,000 sq mi) and is an important traffic artery for the shipment of grain, vegetables, sunflower seeds, cattle and cattle products, and timber, all of which are produced in the Dnestr Basin. The major city on the river is Tiraspoĺ.

Before World War II the Dnestr formed part of the boundary between Romania and the Soviet Union. During the war large-scale battles were fought on the banks of the river between the German and Romanian invaders and the Soviet defenders.