Diyala River
Encyclopedia
The Diyala River after Darban-e Khan Dam:Kurdish
: Sirwan, سيروان, , Persian
: سیروان دیاله, is a river
and tributary of the Tigris
that runs mainly through Eastern Iraq
but also Western Iran
. It covers a total distance of 445 km (276.5 mi).
It rises near Sanandaj
, in the Zagros Mountains
of Iran. It then descends through the mountains, where for some 32 km it forms the border between the two countries. It finally feeds into the Tigris below Baghdad
.
Its origin in Kurdish and Persian is called "Sirwan", meaning 'roaring sea' or 'shouting river', as well as being the name of an ancient city near Ilam city in Iran.
Navigation of the upper reaches of the Diyala is not possible because of its narrow defile
s, but the river's valley provides an important trade route between Iran and Iraq.
The river is controlled by the Diyala Weir
on the lower Diyala valley, which controls floods and irrigates the area northeast of Baghdad.
The Diyala Governorate in Iraq is named after the river.
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
: Sirwan, سيروان, , Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: سیروان دیاله, is a river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
and tributary of the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
that runs mainly through Eastern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
but also Western Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. It covers a total distance of 445 km (276.5 mi).
It rises near Sanandaj
Sanandaj
Sanandaj , also Romanized as Senneh and Sinneh) is a city in and the capital of Kurdistan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 311,446, in 81,380 families....
, in the Zagros Mountains
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
of Iran. It then descends through the mountains, where for some 32 km it forms the border between the two countries. It finally feeds into the Tigris below Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
.
Its origin in Kurdish and Persian is called "Sirwan", meaning 'roaring sea' or 'shouting river', as well as being the name of an ancient city near Ilam city in Iran.
Navigation of the upper reaches of the Diyala is not possible because of its narrow defile
Defile (geography)
Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills. It has its origins as a military description of a pass through which troops can march only in a narrow column or with a narrow front...
s, but the river's valley provides an important trade route between Iran and Iraq.
The river is controlled by the Diyala Weir
Diyala Weir
Diyala Weir is a diversion dam on the Diyala River 90 km northeast of Baghdad, Iraq. The main purpose of the dam is to divert outflow of the Hemrin Dam on the Diyala River to the Khalis and Sadr Al-Mushtarak canals for irrigation....
on the lower Diyala valley, which controls floods and irrigates the area northeast of Baghdad.
The Diyala Governorate in Iraq is named after the river.