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Vjosa
Physical characteristics
Mouth	Adriatic Sea 40°38′34″N 19°19′2″E / 40.64278°N 19.31722°E / 40.64278; 19.31722
Length	272 kilometres (169 mi)

Vjosë (Template:Lang-sq) or the Aoos or Aous, (Template:Lang-el, Template:Lang-la) or is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania. It is also known as Vovousa (Template:Lang-el) or Aias (Template:Lang-el).

Its total length is about 272 kilometres (169 mi), of which the first 80 kilometres (50 mi) are in Greece, and the remaining 192 kilometres (119 mi) in Albania. Vjosë is fed by a second branch, the Drino river.

Its source is in the Pindus mountains, in Epirus, near the village Vovousa. An artificial lake has been constructed at an altitude of 1350 metres, and there is a hydroelectric dam in place since 1987. It flows through the Vikos-Aoos National Park, where it forms impressive canyons. It flows through Konitsa, and enters Albania near Çarshovë. It continues northwest through Përmet, Këlcyrë, Tepelenë, Memaliaj, Selenicë and Novoselë. It flows into the Adriatic Sea, northwest of Vlorë.

Name

Linguists, among whom Robert Elsie, include the name Vjosë between the Illyrian names and exclude it from Slavic geographical names in Albania.

Vjosa is a very common Albanian given name for females. River names, such as Drin, Valdrin (waves of Drin), Vjosa, Holta and Valbona are common first names in Albania.

Human History

Hecataeus (550 - 476 BC) refers to the river as Aias (Template:Lang-el). The name Anios (Template:Lang-el) is used by Plutarch in Caesar, while Polybius, Livy and Strabo use the term Aoos. The Thesprotian tribe of Parauaioi received their name from the river, as those living beside it. Pausanias writes of "sharks" (Template:Lang-el) in the river, as it flows through Thesprotia. It is mentioned as Auos (Template:Lang-el) by Stephanus of Byzantium in the 6th century AD.

In 198 BC, Philip V of Macedon and the Roman Titus Quinctius Flamininus, clashed in the Battle of the Aous. At 170 BC a plot to kidnap Aulus Hostilius Mancinus was foiled by Molossians by mistake. There are some indications that a river harbour may have existed in Vjosë. In antiquity the river passed more to the north, towards where Fier nowadays lies. Owing to an earthquake in the 4th century AD, it changed to the present course. This earthquake and river change were the main reasons that led to the decline of the ancient Greek city of Apollonia.

Greece

The Vikos-Aoos National Park (Template:Lang-el Ethnikós Drymós Víkou-Aóou), founded in 1973 is a national park in the periphery of Epirus in northwestern Greece. The national park encompasses 126 square kilometres (31,135 acres) of mountainous terrain, with numerous rivers, lakes, caves, deep canyons and dense coniferous and deciduous forest. The core of the park (3400 hectares) is the Vikos Gorge, carved by the Voidomatis river, while Aoos gorge, mount Tymfi, with its highest peak Gamila 2,497 metres (8,192 ft) and a number of traditionally preserved settlements form the park's peripheral zone.

Economy

The hydropower potential of the river is being studied by the Albanian Government. Seven hydroelectric power plants along the Albanian part of the river would have 400 MW total capacity (2,155 GWh/year). The feasibility of the project is being studied. In February 2005 The Albanian Government approved a law, making the Vjose-Narte wetlands a protected area. This legislation followed Albania's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in December 2004. The river is known for its apport to the important irrigation canal Vjosë-Levan-Fier, a canal that was built in the 50's for the the irrigation of the Myzeqe low plains.

Lists

• Tributaries: Drino river
• Cities and towns (in upstream order) along with the river: Novoselë, Selenicë, Memaliaj, Tepelenë, Çarshovë, Këlcyrë, Përmet, Konitsa and Vovousa.
• List crossings of the river: Konitsa bridge

See also

• Battle of the Aous
• List of rivers of Albania
• List of rivers of Europe
• List of rivers of Greece
• Vikos-Aoos National Park

References

1. Λαμπρίδης Ιωάννης "Ζαγοριακά", Τυπογραφείον Αυγής, Αθήνα, 1870
2. Λαμπρίδης Ιωάννης "Ζαγοριακά", Τυπογραφείον Αυγής, Αθήνα, 1870
3. Acta hydrochimica et hydrobiologica
4. Epirus Vetus: the archaeology of a late antique province
5. Egnatia Municipality
6. The origin of the Albanians: linguistically investigated By Shaban Demiraj p153, 154, and 155
7. From an Albanian common baby names suggetsion directory
8. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854)
9. Paus. 4.34,"But the rivers of Greece contain no terrors from wild beasts, for the sharks of the Aous, which flows through Thesprotia, are not river beasts but migrants from the sea."
10. Ethnica Epitome,"Παρά τον Αύον ποταμόν"
11. A History of Macedonia: 336-167 B.C by Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond,Frank William Walbank,1988,ISBN-0198148151,page 520
12. An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation by Mogens Herman Hansen,2005,page 329
13. Trakolis: p. 3
14. Project from Energy Community not-for-profit
15. UN Environment Programme's website last retrieved 3/4/2010
16. View from Geonames website.

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