Ibar River
Encyclopedia
The Ibar 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...

 that flows through eastern Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...

 and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

, with a total length of 276 km (171 mi). The river begins in the Hajla
Hajla
Hajla is a mountain located between Kosovo and Montenegro. It has several peaks that reach over , the highest having which is also called Hajla. In its northern slopes, the river Ibar originates, and to its southern slopes is the origin of the Pećka Bistrica river. Hajla is also the highest...

 mountain, eastern Montenegro, passes through Kosovo and flows into the West Morava river, Central Serbia
Central Serbia
Central Serbia , also referred to as Serbia proper , was the region of Serbia from 1945 to 2009. It included central parts of Serbia outside of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina. The region of Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia as such; it was under the...

, near Kraljevo
Kraljevo
Kraljevo is a city and municipality in central Serbia, built beside the river Ibar, 7 km west of its confluence with the Western Morava. It is located in the midst of an upland valley, between the mountains of Kotlenik in the north, and Stolovi in the south.In 2011 the city has population of...

.

It belongs to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...

 drainage basin. Its own drainage area is 8059 km² (3,112 sq mi), average discharge at the mouth 60 m³/s. It is not navigable.

Upper course

The Ibar originates from six springs on the Hajla
Hajla
Hajla is a mountain located between Kosovo and Montenegro. It has several peaks that reach over , the highest having which is also called Hajla. In its northern slopes, the river Ibar originates, and to its southern slopes is the origin of the Pećka Bistrica river. Hajla is also the highest...

 mountain in eastern Montenegro. It flows generally north-east, passing through Ibarac, Rožaje
Rožaje
Rožaje , is a town in northeastern Montenegro. It has a population of 9,121 Rožaje is the centre of the municipality, which has a population of 22,693. The municipality is located in the geographical region of Sandžak.-History:The history of Rožaje goes back to 1571 and 1585 when it was first...

, Radetina and Bać, after which it enters Serbia. Passing through the most southern part of Sandžak
Sandžak
Sandžak also known as Raška is a historical region lying along the border between Serbia and Montenegro...

, it flows through several small villages, but this is one of the least populated areas of Serbia. In this whole area, the river has no major tributaries, but many short streams flow into it from surrounding mountains. Also, in this part, it represents the route of the one of two main roads connecting Serbia and Montenegro (Jadranska magistrala). At a point near the village of Vitkovići, it turns south and enters Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

.

Middle course

Continuing to the south, the river passes through Gazivode, Zubin Potok
Zubin Potok
Zubin Potok is a town and municipality in the Kosovska Mitrovica district of northern Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo...

, Ugljare, Zupče
Zupce
Zupče i small village near Zubin Potok, Republic of Serbia, Province of Kosovo....

 and Šipolje, reaching the city of Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....

. There, it makes a sharp, elbow turn to the north flowing through Zvečan
Zvecan
Zvečan is a town and municipality in the Kosovska Mitrovica district of Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo and Metohija. The municipality covers an area of , and...

, Slatina, Sočanica, Leposavić
Leposavic
Leposavić is a town and [Municipalities of Kosovo|municipality]] in the district of Kosovska Mitrovica of northern Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with at least 98%ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo...

, Dren and Lešak, entering central Serbia
Central Serbia
Central Serbia , also referred to as Serbia proper , was the region of Serbia from 1945 to 2009. It included central parts of Serbia outside of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina. The region of Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia as such; it was under the...

 proper at the village of Donje Jarinje.

At Gazivode, the river is dammed, creating the artificial Lake Gazivode (area 11.9 km² (4.6 sq mi), altitude 693 m (2,274 ft), depth 105 m (344 ft)). Water from the lake is used for industrial and mining facilities in the Kosovska Mitrovica/Trepča
Trepça
- Basketball Hall :The club currently plays in the sport and youth center "Palestra e Sporteve Minatori", in the center of Mitrovica, with a capacity for around 3500 spectators.- Roster :-Notable players:- External links :**...

 area. Below Gazivode another reservoir is created, Lake Pridvorice. These lakes allow irrigation of an area of 300 km³, and they represent part of plan, never completed, of a huge Ibar-Lepenac
Lepenac
The Lepenac is a river in southern Kosovo and northern Macedonia, a long left tributary to the Vardar river.- Sirinić :The Lepenac springs out on the Kodža Balkan mountain, east of the city of Prizren, Kosovo, at an altitude of . It flows eastward, into the župa of Sirinić, between the Žar...

 Hydrosystem, which was supposed to regulate the Ibar-Sitnica-Lepenac watercourse (including ecological protection, irrigation and power production).

At Kosovska Mitrovica, the river enters a minerals and ore rich area of the western slopes of Kopaonik
Kopaonik
Kopaonik ; is one of the larger mountain ranges of Serbia. It is located in the central part of Serbia, while a small portion extendeds to North Kosovo. Its highest point, Pančić's Peak, is above sea level....

 mountain, which it will follow for over the next 100 km (62 mi). The area is especially rich in lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...

, zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...

 and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...

 (Stari Trg, Trepča and Leposavić mines).

Right on its elbow turn, the Ibar receives its longest (right) tributary, the Sitnica
Sitnica
The Sitnica , is a long river in Kosovo. It flows into the Ibar River at Kosovska Mitrovica, and it's the longest river that flows completely within Kosovo's borders.- History :...

.

Lower course

Flowing to the north, still following the western side of Kopaonik, the river reaches Raška, Brvenik, Bela Stena, Baljevac, Ušće, Bogutovac, Mataruška Banja
Mataruška Banja
Mataruška Banja is a spa town in Serbia. It is situated in the Kraljevo municipality near 9 km, in the Raška District. Across this town runs the river Ibar. The population of the town is 2,732 people . The most beautiful spa in Serbia.-External links:* * * *...

, Žiča
Žica
Žiča is an early 13th century Serb Orthodox monastery near Kraljevo, Serbia. The monastery, together with the Church of the Holy Dormition, was built by the first King of Serbia, Stefan the First-Crowned and the first Head of the Serbian Church, Saint Sava....

 and Kraljevo, finally emptying into the Zapadna Morava.

Here, the river receives its major tributaries: the Raška
Raška River
The Raška is a river in southwestern Serbia, a 60 km-long left tributary to the Ibar river.Its historical name is Arzon ....

, Studenica
Studenica River
The Studenica is a river in southwestern Serbia, a 60 km-long left tributary to the Ibar river.- Origin :...

 and Lopatnica, from the left, and the Jošanica.

In this section, the river has carved the 40 km (25 mi) long and 550 m (1,804 ft) deep Ibar gorge, which is the natural route for the major road in this part of Serbia, the Ibar highway
Ibar highway
The Ibar highway is a regional road in Serbia that connects Belgrade with western Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. Part of the highway goes parallel to the Ibar river, hence the name. Major cities on the highway are Ljig, Gornji Milanovac, Čačak, Kraljevo, Užice, Čajetina and Novi Pazar...

, and it is famous for its pinched meanders and gigantic whirlpools. The whole area, 110 km (68 mi) long (meridionally stretched) and 15–20 km (9.3–12.4 mi) wide, is known as Ibarski kraj (Serbian: Ибарски крај), and is popularly divided into several colorfully named valleys:
  • Dolina istorije (Serbian: Долина историје; Valley of history), comprising ruins of the medieval city of Maglič, monastery of Studenica, monastery of Žiča
    Žica
    Žiča is an early 13th century Serb Orthodox monastery near Kraljevo, Serbia. The monastery, together with the Church of the Holy Dormition, was built by the first King of Serbia, Stefan the First-Crowned and the first Head of the Serbian Church, Saint Sava....

    , monastery of Gradac
    Gradac Monastery
    Gradac Monastery is a monastery in the Republic of Serbia. It lies on the elevated plateau above the river Gradačka, at the edge of the forested slopes Golija. It is 21 km northwest of Raška and 12.5 km west of Brvenik and Ibar highway...

    , etc;
  • Dolina jorgovana (Serbian: Долина јоргована; Valley of the lilacs);
  • Dolina banja (Serbian: Долина бања; Valley of the spas), with many spas and springs, such as Jošanička Banja
    Jošanicka Banja
    Jošanička Banja is a spa town in Serbia. It is situated in the Raška municipality, in the Raška District. Jošanička Banja in Serbian means Jošanička Spa. The population of the town is 1,154 people ....

    , Mataruška Banja and Bogutovačka Banja).


The gorge is carved between the mountains of Golija
Golija
Golija is a mountain in southwestern Serbia, between towns of Ivanjica and Novi Pazar. It belongs to the Dinaric mountain range. The mountain is heavily forested, with significant biodiversity and it hosts the Golija-Studenica Biosphere Reserve, the first UNESCO-MAB registered biosphere reserve in...

, Čemerno
Čemerno
Čemerno is a mountain in western Serbia, near the town of Ivanjica. Its highest peak Smrdljuč has an altitude of 1579 meters above sea level.-External links:*...

 and Troglav
Troglav (Serbia)
Troglav is a mountain in central Serbia, near the city of Kraljevo. Its highest peak Kom has an altitude of 1178 meters above sea level.-External links:* PD "Pobeda"...

, from the east, and Kopaonik, Željin
Željin
Željin is a mountain in central Serbia, near the town of Vrnjačka Banja. Its highest peak Željin has an altitude of 1784 meters above sea level....

 and Stolovi
Stolovi
Stolovi is a mountain in central Serbia, near the city of Kraljevo. Its highest peak Čiker has an altitude of 1375 meters above sea level....

, from the west.

This is a continuation of Kopaonik's mining rich area, including deposits of iron ore (Kopaonik, Raška), nickel (Kopaonik), asbestos (Brvenik), magnesite (Bela Stena) and hard coal (Baljevac, Ušće and Jarando).

The Ibar gained notoriety as being the most polluted river in Serbia (together with its major tributary, the Sitnica), especially from frequent spills of extremely poisonous phenol, which causes constant problems for the population of Kraljevo, since the city uses the river's water for public waterworks.

Planned Development

Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

 plans to build ten hydro electric power
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...

 dams
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...

on the Ibar river.

External links

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