Эстония мен Ресей арасындағы Нарва өзені

River between Estonia and Russia

The Narva, formerly also Narwa or Narova, flows north into the Baltic Sea and is the largest Estonian river by discharge. A similar length of land far to the south, together with it and a much longer intermediate lake, Lake Peipus, all together nowadays form the international border between Estonia and Russia. The river gives its name to the archaeological (Neolithic) Narva culture, as well as the city of Narva. Narva is the third most populous urban area in Estonia, and nowadays faces the Russian town of Ivangorod right across the border over the river. At the coast the river passes part of the resort of Narva Jõesuu. Its mouth opens into WNW facing Narva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Narva gives the second greatest discharge into the Gulf of Finland (the greatest discharge comes from the Neva River).

The etymology of the toponym Narva is not clear. According to one hypothesis it is related to the Finnic word narva which, for example, in Veps means 'waterfall' or 'stream'.

The Narva River has its source at the northeastern end of Lake Peipus, near the villages of Vasknarva (Estonia) and Skyamya (Russia). There are a few more small villages on the upper section of the river, Permisküla and Kuningaküla on the Estonian side and Omuti on the Russian side, but up to the city of Narva the shores of the river are mostly forested or marshy land. The river is dammed entering Narva and Ivangorod, forming the Narva Reservoir, which extends up to upstream. The Narva empties into Narva Bay near the Estonian town of Narva Jõesuu, third largest settlement on the river after Narva and Ivangorod. The Plyussa is the largest tributary, joining the Narva River at the reservoir from the right. The large Lake Peipus notably drains the much longer Russian river, the Velikaya, and a large, splayed drainage basin in the two countries.

Kreenholm (Krähnholm for crow islet) is a river island in Estonia, located in the Narva River, within the city limits of Narva. Between the southeast part of the city of Narva and the rest, facing the Russian city of Ivangorod, the river flows over the Baltic Klint, forming Narva Falls, at times, as it historically was, the most powerful in Europe. Before the water reaches the falls it is split into two branches by the Kreenholm island, thus the falls consist of two branches. Kreenholm Falls, west of the island, is wide and high with multiple terraces. Joala Falls, to the east, is wide and makes the same descent. The international border follows the latter. The Narva has for centuries been an important border river. Beginning in the 13th century it was the border of Medieval Livonia and the Novgorod Republic. Though in earlier periods Narva was part of a larger buffer zone between the two territories, gradually the river emerged as the exact border. today the Narva is the eastern border of the European Union and Schengen Zone.