The JÅ«ra is a river in
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
and a right
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of the
Nemunas
Neman, Nemunas or Niemen is a river in Europe that rises in central Belarus and flows through Lithuania then forms the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave, which specifically follows its southern channel. It drains ...
(Neman). It mostly follows a meandering and natural course, although two concrete
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
s of
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
power plants prevent
paddling
Paddling, in regard to waterborne transport, is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using at least one hand-held paddle. The paddle, which consists of one or two blades joined to a shaft, is also used to steer the vessel via generatin ...
, as do dense vegetation and large stones in its upper reaches. The JÅ«ra is 177 km (110 mi) long.
The river's name comes from the
Lithuanian word ''jūra'', which means "sea". Towns on the Jūra include
TauragÄ—
TauragÄ— (; see #Names and etymology, other names) is an industrial city in Lithuania, and the capital of TauragÄ— County. In 2020, its population was 20,956. TauragÄ— is situated on the JÅ«ra, JÅ«ra River, close to the border with the Kaliningr ...
,
Rietavas,
KvÄ—darna, and
Pajūris.
Tributary rivers
* left - Aitra, Lokysta, Akmena, Å unija,
Šešuvis.
* right - Letausas, Å launis.
Rivers of Lithuania
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