Where is the source of the Kama River located? Geography and interesting facts

Kama is one of the ten largest watercourses in Europe. The very word "Kam" can be translated from the Udmurt language as a "big river". Kama collects its waters from a huge area (520 thousand square kilometers). This territory is comparable in size to such European countries as France or Spain.

Many are interested in the question of where the source of the river is? Kama, according to geographical studies, begins in Udmurtia and empties into the Kuibyshev reservoir of the Volga.

general characteristics

One of the largest rivers of Europe originates and flows within Russia. The total length of Kama is 1805 km, and the area of its basin is about 520,000 sq. Km. Km. The river flows through five modern regions of the Russian Federation: Udmurtia, the Kirov region, the Perm region, Bashkortostan and Tatarstan. Several large and famous cities of the country have grown on the banks of the Kama: Solikamsk, Perm, Naberezhnye Chelny and others.

Like any other flat river in Europe, Kama feeds mainly on rain and snowmelt snow. Its channel freezes approximately in the middle of November, and it is opened in the beginning of April. The average water discharge in the mouth area is over 4000 cubic meters. Near Kama, hydrologists counted about 75,000 tributaries of different lengths.

The name of the river occurs, most likely, from the Udmurt word "kam" ("big river"). From him, according to one of the theories, the name of the Komi people took place.

Kama River: source and mouth

Kama has recently become increasingly the subject of a dispute between Russian and foreign geographers. Not everyone agrees to consider it a tributary of the Volga. But about this a little later. Consider where the source of the river is located?

Kama originates from springs in the vicinity of the village of Kuliga in the Kez region of the Udmurt Republic. In its upper reaches the river is a small streamlet flowing through numerous fields and meadows. At first, it flows strictly to the north, then changes its direction to the east, and then sharply turns to the south. Gradually Kama is gaining strength and becomes a very full river.

The mouth of the Kama in the middle of the last century was flooded with the waters of the large Kuibyshev reservoir.

The source of the Kama River is located at an altitude of 330 meters above sea level, and its mouth - at an altitude of 35 meters. Thus, the watercourse on its long journey is reduced by almost 300 meters. At the same time, the slope of the river is small and amounts to 0.11 m / km.

Kama or Volga: who is more important?

What river in a particular river system can be considered the main one? It is rather difficult to answer this question. To determine the main river, not only the total length of the watercourses is taken into account, but also a number of other parameters:

• Catchment area;
• Water content of the river;
• Number of tributaries;
• The age of the river valley;
• Height of source location, etc.

Even the color of the water in the two rivers is taken into account, as well as the angle at which they merge.

If you take into account all of the above factors of hydrology, then it is right for Kamu to be considered the main river in its river system. In other words, the Kama, rather than the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea near Astrakhan.

Why are geographers allowed such a serious mistake? Here the main role was played by the historical and cultural factor. The Volga has long been almost the main natural symbol of Russia, its shrine. For Russians, this river is as sacred as the Dnieper for Ukrainians or the Ganges for the Hindus. In addition, the economic significance of the Volga is much more important than the level of development of the Kama.

By the way, this is not the only case in the world, when the main one is not called the watercourse. Another similar example is the American rivers Missouri and Mississippi.

The source of the Kama river as a tourist site

In the Kez region of the Udmurt Republic, far from civilization there is a small village of Kuliga. The settlement is known for the fact that it is home to a large community of Russian Old Believers. Another attraction of the village is the natural one. It is in the vicinity of Kuliga that the source of the Kama River is located.

"There, out of a crumb-spring - Kama, a river has grown!" - this is how the Permian poet Boris Shirshov described this place. Kama really starts from the spring. A powerful stream of cool and tasty water bursts out of the iron pipe, and a small stream with a merry murmur rushes into its long way.

The source of the Kama River is ennobled and well-groomed. Nearby a cozy square is divided and a small stone stela is installed with the corresponding inscription: "Here the Ural river Kama originates". A tiny bridge is tossed across the channel. Visiting tourists like to be photographed in this place, standing with their feet on two different banks of the great Russian river.

Conclusion

Kama is considered the largest tributary of the Volga. However, not all geographers agree with this formulation. Some believe that it is not the Kama that flows into the Volga, but quite the contrary.

Where is the source of the river? Kama is born in Udmurtia, near the village of Kuliga, flows through the territory of five regions of Russia and flows into the Kuibyshev reservoir of the Volga, located near Kazan.