The Cinca (; ; an, A Cinca, ) is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...
in
Aragon,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. Its source is in the Circo de Pineta, in the
Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park
The Ordesa Valley is a glacial valley in Aragon, in the Spanish Pyrenees which forms part of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. It was first discovered in 1820, but not mapped in detail until approximately the 1920s. The valley is about ...
, in the Aragonese
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...
. It is a tributary to the
Segre River
The Segre ( or ; french: Sègre) is a river tributary to the Ebro (''Ebre'' in Catalan) with a basin comprising territories across three states: France, Andorra and Spain.
The river Segre, known to Romans and Greeks as Sicoris, and to the Arab ...
, with its confluence at
La Granja d'Escarp, not far from the point where the Segre flows into the
Ebro River
, name_etymology =
, image = Zaragoza shel.JPG
, image_size =
, image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza
, map = SpainEbroBasin.png
, map_size =
, map_caption = The Ebro ...
. The Cinca River flows through a rich agricultural region.
Path and tributaries
The Cinca is born in the area of
Pineta and begins its descent between cascades and torrents, in the mountains of the
Tres Sorores. It flows across the entire Pineta valley. In
Bielsa
Bielsa is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE
INE, Ine or ine may refer to:
Institutions
* Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center
* Instituto Nacional ...
it joins with the Barrosa, and somewhat later the Cinqueta. Upon reaching
Aínsa
Aínsa ( an, L'Aínsa) is the main town in the Aínsa-Sobrarbe municipal term, Aragon, Spain.
It is located south of the Pyrenees, in a geology, geologically interesting setting at the north of Huesca. Besides the surrounding mountain landscape, ...
it is joined on the right side by the
Ara River, where the
Mediano Reservoir is located. Immediately after the Mediano, after crossing the throat of the Entremón, it is again dammed at the
El Grado Reservoir near
El Grado
El Grado is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to 2009 data (INE
INE, Ine or ine may refer to:
Institutions
* Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center
* Instituto Nacional de E ...
. Just after this, it is joined on the left side by the
Ésera River, the Cinca's most important tributary.
On the right side it is joined by the
Vero River, and in
Monzón
Monzón is a small city and municipality in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. Its population was 17,176 as of 2014. It is in the northeast (specifically the Cinca Medio district of the province of Huesca) and adjoins the rivers Cinca an ...
by the
Sosa River
The Cernu is a right tributary of the river Tazlău in Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hung ...
on the left. Later, the
Alcanadre pours into it on the right. Finally, in
Massalcoreig
Massalcoreig is a village in the province of Lleida and autonomous community of Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' ...
, it joins the Segre to flow into the Ebro River.
History
The presence of humans is not found in the upper stretches of the river, but only in the middle stretches, although it is known from ancient accounts.
The migratory villages, in the first
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
, used the Cinca Valley in their path to the interior; they were populated by the
Ilergetes The Ilergetes were an ancient Iberian (Pre-Roman) people of the Iberian peninsula (the Roman Hispania) who dwelt in the plains area of the rivers Segre and Cinca towards Iberus (Ebro) river, and in and around Ilerda/Iltrida, present-day Lleida/L ...
. The current name of the river comes from Cinga, because
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...
in his account of the civil war used that name. It underwent a change of name under the Moors because it came to have the name Az-Zaytum, which meant the River of Olives.
See also
*
Cinca Medio
The Cinca Medio is a comarca in eastern Aragon, Spain. It is named after river Cinca.
This comarca is bordered on the northwest by the Somontano de Barbastro comarca, to the east by La Litera and the south by the Bajo Cinca and Monegros.
I ...
*
Baix Cinca
Bajo Cinca () or Baix Cinca (; an, Cinca Baxa, ) is a comarca in eastern Aragon, Spain. It is named after river Cinca.
This comarca is located in the southeastern corner of the Huesca province.
The administrative capital is Fraga, with 13,592 ...
*
List of rivers of Spain
External links
Cinca River - Geography''La Pinzana, Centro de Interpretación del río Cinca'' Cinca River - Hydrology
{{Coord, 42, 3, 13.28, N, 0, 11, 46.82, E, source:cawiki_region:ES_type:river, display=title
Rivers of Spain
Rivers of Aragon