The Akhtuba (); also transliterated ''Achtuba'' on some maps) is a left

distributary A distributary, or a distributary channel is a stream channel that branches off and flows a main stream channel. It is the opposite of a ''tributary'', a stream that flows another stream or river. Distributaries are a result of river bifurc ...

of the

Volga The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...

in southern

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. The Akhtuba splits off the Volga shortly before the city of

Volgograd Volgograd,. formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area of , with a population ...

(at ), and flows toward the

Volga Delta The Volga Delta is the largest river delta in Europe and occurs where Europe's largest river system, the Volga River, drains into the Caspian Sea in Russia's Astrakhan Oblast, north-east of the republic of Kalmykia. The delta is located in the ...

and

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, ...

. The old beginning of Akhtuba was blocked by the dam of the Volga Hydroelectric Station; now it flows from the Volga via an artificial outtake canal long that starts below the dam. The river is long; the average water flow is . The following cities lie on or near the Akhtuba: Volzhsky (at the beginning of the river), Leninsk, Znamensk,

Akhtubinsk Akhtubinsk () is a town and the administrative center of Akhtubinsky District in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Akhtuba River (a tributary of the Volga), north of Astrakhan, the administrative center of the oblast. Pop ...

Kharabali Kharabali (; , ''Qarabaıly'') is a town and the administrative center of Kharabalinsky District in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Akhtuba River (an arm of the Volga) northwest of Astrakhan, the administrative center of ...

(within 5 kilometres of the river). The capital of the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

, Sarai Batu, was most likely located along the Akhtuba as well, not far from Kharabali. The area between the Volga and the Akhtuba is known as the Volga-Akhtuba plain, which is one of

's primary vegetable-growing regions. It is particularly well known as a major source of

watermelon The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a Glossary of botanical terms#scandent, scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is plant breeding ...

s consumed in Russia.

References

Distributaries of Europe Rivers of Astrakhan Oblast Rivers of Volgograd Oblast 0Akhtuba {{South-Russia-river-stub