The river of Don, south-western European Russia. It rises south-east of Tula and flows c.1,200 miles (1,930 km) into the Sea of Azov. At its eastern bend the Don is linked by a canal (c.65 mi/105 m long), with the Volga River near Volgograd.

Rostov-na-Donu is the chief city and port on the Don. Navigable for c.850 mi (1,370 km) and accessible to seagoing vessels as far as Rostov-na-Donu, the Don is an important artery for grain, coal, and lumber shipments. The chief tributary of the Don is the Donets, which connects it with the industrial Donets Basin.

Known to the ancients as the Tanais, the Don has been a trading channel since Scythian times.

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