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Updated: 18.11.2003
Russian and Ukrainian Dunay, river of Europe, the second longest river after the Volga. It rises in the Black Forest mountains of western Germany and flows for some 1,770 miles (2,850 kilometres) to its mouth on the Black Sea. Along its course, it passes through ten countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Monte Negro, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine.
The Danube played a vital role in the settlement and political evolution of central and southeastern Europe. Its banks, lined with castles and fortresses, formed the boundary between great empires, and its waters served as a vital commercial highway between nations. The river's majesty has long been celebrated in music. The famous waltzAn der schцnen, blauen Donau (1867; The Blue Danube), by Johann Strauss the Younger, became the symbol of imperial Vienna. In the 20th century the river has continued its role as an important trade artery. It has been harnessed for hydroelectric power, particularly along the upper courses, and the cities along its banks - including the national capitals of Vienna (Austria), Budapest (Hungary), and Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro)- have depended upon it for their economic growth.
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