Ria

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Ria

A ria is a landform

Landform

In the earth sciences and geology sub-fields a landform or physical feature comprises a geomorphology unit, and is largely defined by its surface form and location in the landscape, as part of the terrain, and as such, is typically an element of topography....
, often referred to as a drowned river valley. Rias are almost always estuaries. Rias form where sea levels rise relative to the land either as a result of eustatic sea level change (where the global sea levels rise), or isostatic sea level change (where the land sinks).

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A ria is a landform

Landform

Valley

In geology, a valley is a Depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge....
s which were previously at sea level become submerged. The result is often a very large estuary at the mouth of a relatively insignificant river (or else sediments would quickly fill the ria). The Kingsbridge Estuary

Kingsbridge Estuary

The Kingsbridge Estuary is located in the South Hams area of Devon, England, running from Kingsbridge in the north to its mouth at the English Channel near Salcombe....
is an extreme example of a ria forming an estuary disproportionate to the size of its river; no significant river flows into it at all, only a number of small streams.

Rias are sometimes confused with fjord

Fjord

Geologically, a fjord or fiord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by Glacier....
s. Although both are formed in drowned valleys, fjords are created not by rivers but by glaciers. For instance, a ria north of Rovinj

Rovinj

File:Rovinj 07.JPGRovinj is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562 . It is located on the western coast of the Istria and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port....
on the western coast of Istria

Istria

File:Istria Croatian Adriatic.pngIstria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner....
, Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a Central European country at the crossroads of Pannonian Plain, Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea....
, the Lim

Lim (Croatia)

The Lim bay and valley is a peculiar geographic feature found near Rovinj and Vrsar on the western coast of Istria, Croatia, south of Porec. The name comes from the Latin limes for "limit", referring to the landform's position at the border of two Roman provinces ....
Bay (Limski kanal in Croatian

Croatian language

Croatian language is a South Slavic languages which is used primarily in Croatia, by Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in neighbouring countries where Croats are Indigenous peoples, in Italian region of Molise, and parts of the Croats diaspora....
) is often called "Lim fjord", although it was not actually formed by glacial erosion but by the river Pazincica.

The word ria comes from Galician language

Galician language

Galician is a language of the Iberian Romance languages branch, spoken in Galicia , an Autonomous communities of Spain located in northwestern Spain, as well as in small bordering zones in the neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castile and Le?n and in Northern Portugal....
, as rias are present all along the Galician coast. It relates to the word rio (river). The 19 Galician rias are divided in three main groups: Rias Altas
Rias Altas

Rias Altas is the northernmost of three sections of A Costa do Marisco in Galicia , Spain. It extends from the port of Ribadeo to Santa Cruz, Galicia....
(Upper Rias), Rias Medias (Middle Rias) and Rias Baixas
Rías Baixas

The R?as Baixas are the Atlantic facing southern a part of Costa del Marisco in the Galicia region of Spain. They consist of the southern part of the A Coru?a and the entire Pontevedra ....
(Lower Rias).

Further examples

England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
: The south coast of England is a submergent coastline
Submergent coastline

Submergent coastlines are stretches along the coast that have been inundated by the sea due to a relative rise in sea levels. This occurs due to either isostacy or eustacy....
which contains many rias, including Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth Harbour

Portsmouth Harbour is a large natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Geographically it is a ria.The city of Portsmouth lies to the east on Portsea Island, and Gosport to the west on the mainland....
, Langstone Harbour
Langstone Harbour

Langstone Harbour is an England inlet of the English Channel, sandwiched between Portsea Island to the south and west, Hayling Island to the south and east, and Langstone to the north....
, Chichester Harbour
Chichester Harbour

Chichester Harbour is a large natural harbour to the south west of the city of Chichester on the Solent. It straddles the boundary of West Sussex and Hampshire....
, Pagham Harbour
Pagham Harbour

Pagham Harbour is a natural harbour on England's south coast. It is south of the city of Chichester and near the towns of Pagham and Selsey.Geographically it is the smallest and most easterly of the harbours of the Solent....
, Southampton Water
Southampton Water

Southampton Water is a stretch of the sea north of the Isle of Wight and the Solent, in England. The city of Southampton lies at its most northerly point....
, Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour

Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the River Frome, Dorset....
, the estuaries of the Exe
River Exe

The River Exe in England source near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, near the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon....
, Teign
River Teign

The River Teign is a river in the county of Devon, England.Like many Devon rivers, the Teign source on Dartmoor, near Cranmere Pool. Its course on the moor is crossed by a clapper bridge near Teigncombe, just below the prehistoric Kestor Settlement....
and Dart
River Dart

The River Dart is a river in Devon, England which source high on Dartmoor, and releases to the sea at Dartmouth, Devon. Its valley and surrounding area is respected as a place of great natural beauty....
, the Kingsbridge Estuary, and Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound

Plymouth Sound, or locally just The Sound, is a Headlands and bays at Plymouth in England.Its south west and south east corners are Penlee Point, Rame in Cornwall and Wembury Point on Devon, a distance of about 3 nautical miles ....
in Devon
Devon

Devon is a large Counties of England in South West England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name, rarely used inside of the county but often indicating a shire....
, and the estuaries of the River Fowey
River Fowey

The River Fowey is a river in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.It source about 1 mile north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens at Milltown, Cornwall before joining the English Channel at Fowey....
and River Fal
River Fal

The River Fal flows through Cornwall, United Kingdom, rising on the Goss Moor and reaching the English Channel at Falmouth, Cornwall. On or near the banks of the Fal are the castles of Pendennis Castle and St Mawes Castle as well as Trelissick Garden....
in Cornwall
Cornwall

Cornwall , constitutional Duchy and palatine, is a metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England of England, United Kingdom, located at the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain....
. Milford Haven
Milford Haven (harbour)

Milford Haven is a natural harbour in Pembrokeshire, West Wales Wales.It is formed by the Pembroke River and the Daugleddau estuary, and winds west to the sea....
in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire is a county in the South West Wales of Wales in the United Kingdom....
, Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
is also a ria.

Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
: The east coast of Australia features several rias around Sydney
Sydney

Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia....
, including Georges River
Georges River

The Georges River is a waterway in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It rises to the south-west of Sydney near the coal mining town of Appin, New South Wales, and then flows north past Campbelltown, New South Wales, roughly parallelling the Main South Railway....
, Port Hacking
Port Hacking

Port Hacking is an Australian estuary, located about 26 km south of Sydney, New South Wales and fed by the Hacking River and several smaller creeks, including Bundeena Creek and The Basin....
and Sydney Harbour
Port Jackson

Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the harbor of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge....
itself.

New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
: Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour

Kaipara Harbour is a large enclosed harbour estuary complex on the north western side of the North Island of New Zealand.The northern part of the harbour is administered by the Kaipara District and the southern part is administered by the Rodney District....
on the north west of the North Island
North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. The island is 113,729 square km in area, making it the List of islands by area....
is a ria. The Marlborough Sounds
Marlborough Sounds

The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of rias created by a combination of subsidence and rising sea levels at the north of the South Island of New Zealand....
at the northern tip of the South Island
South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major Islands of New Zealand of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. The Maori name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, meaning "The Water/s of Greenstone" , possibly evolved from Te Wahi Pounamu which means "The Place Of Greenstone"....
is a large network of rias.

United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
: Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi? , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago....
, Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia....
and Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay

Delaware Bay is a large estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean....
on the east coast of the United States and San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean....
, on the Pacific coast, are rias. So is Willapa Bay
Willapa Bay

File:Bone River, Washington.jpgWillapa Bay is a Headlands and bays located on the southwest Pacific Ocean of Washington state in the United States....
and Grays Harbor in WA. The phenomenon is also common in South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
.

Brittany
Brittany

Brittany is a former independent Celtic nations monarchy and duchy, now incorporated into France. It is also, more generally, the name of the cultural area whose limits correspond to the historic province and independent duchy....
: The rias in northern Brittany are called Abers; Aber Wrac'h , Aber Benoît , Aber Ildut .

Galicia: Ria of Vigo
Vigo

Vigo is a city in Galicia , Spain, located in the province of Pontevedra . Vigo is the largest city in Spain which is not a provincial capital. It is known as The Olive City....
, Ria of Pontevedra
Pontevedra

Pontevedra is a city in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. It is the capital of both the Pontevedra and Pontevedra of Pontevedra, in Galicia ....
, Ria of Arousa, Ria of Muros
Muros

Muros is a fictional character from the Philippine fantaserye Encantadia and Etheria. He was second in command to Aquil in Encantadia and took over his role as the head of the Lirean army when the latter was killed during the final battle in the original series....
and Noia
Noia

Noia is a small town and municipality in Galicia , Spain. It has a population of around 15,000, and is situated in the A Coru?a , some 20 miles southwest of Santiago de Compostela....
, Ria of Corcubion
Corcubión

Corcubi?n is a municipality of Spain in the A Coru?a , in the autonomous community of Galicia ....
and Cee
Cee, Galicia

Cee is a municipality of Spain in the A Coru?a , in the autonomous community of Galicia .External links...
, Ria of Coronne, Ria of Ares
Ares

In Greek mythology, Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. Though often referred to as the Twelve Olympians God of warfare, he is more accurately the god of bloodlust, or slaughter personified: "Ares is apparently an ancient abstract noun meaning throng of battle, war."...
and Betanzos
Betanzos

Betanzos is a municipality in Galicia , Spain, in the A Coru?a . Betanzos was formerly called by its ancient Latin name Brigantium. The town is located in a fertile valley close to the Atlantic Ocean, and it has one of the best preserved old quarters in Galicia....
, Ria of Cedeira
Cedeira

Cedeira is a city council in the A Coru?a in North West Spain, part of the autonomous community of Galicia ....
, Ria of O Barqueiro
O Barqueiro

O Barqueiro is a parish and a port belonging to the city council of Ma??n in Ferrolterra in North-western Spain in the province of A Coru?a , in the autonomous community of Galicia ....
, Ria of Ferrol, Ria of Ortigueira
Ortigueira

Ortigueira, a seaport and borough of Ferrolterra in North-western Spain, in the A Coru?a ; on the northern slope of the Serra da Faladoira, on the river Mera and on the eastern shore of the Ria de Santa Marta--a winding, rock-bound and much indented inlet of the Bay of Biscay, between Capes Ortegal and Bares, the northernmost headlands of th...
, Ria of Viveiro
Viveiro

Viveiro is a town and municipality in the province of Lugo , in the northwestern Galicia autonomous community of Spain. It borders on the Cantabric Sea, to the south of the municipality of Ourol, to the east of Xove and to the west of O Vicedo....
, Ria of Foz
Foz

Foz is a town and municipality in A Mari?a country in the Galician province of Lugo. It has been historically linked to the Ancient Province of Mondonedo and also linked to the arrival of Briton immigrants during the Dark Ages fleeing by sea from the British Isles It has 9800 inhabitants....
and Ria of Eo
EO

EO may refer to:...
.

Ria

Further examples

See also