The River Elbe is an important part of Hamburg geography. The River Elbe has a total surface area of 148,268 kilometer squares and flows through a distance of 1,091 kilometers. The river has its origination in the Giant Mountains that is situated close to the Cuxhaven in the North Sea.
Flowing through the territories of Czech Republic and Federal republic of Germany, the Elbe river also flows through cities like Prague, Dresden and some areas in Poland and Austria. Some of the other regions that are drained by the river include the North German Plains and cities like Torgau, Wittenberg, Dessau,
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Magdeburg, Wittenberge, Otterndorf, Gluckstadt and Brunsbuttel.
Used for navigational purposes for centuries, the Elbe river has played a key role in the development of trade and business in Hamburg. The industrial areas in the city are linked with the river through canals such as the Elbe-Lubeck Canal and the Kiel canal. These canals further link the river to the Baltic Sea. Another such canal that dates back to the period of bifurcation of Germany is the Elbe Seitenkanal or the Elbe Lateral Canal. This canal was built to enhance the navigation system in Western Germany. The river presently has a capacity to navigate for upto 1000 tons of barges.
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