Have you ever thought about which river is the smallest in the world. It is possible that there are several such water bodies. But the most famous small rivulet is Reprois.
And now more about what is the smallest river in the world.
Abkhazia - the birthplace of a small river
An interesting natural object in the form of a short rivulet is located on the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia, and more specifically - in the area of the resort site of Gagra.
Paradoxically, Gagra is the longest Abkhazian city, and Reprois is the shortest river in the world.
Description
Reprois is a rather modest rivulet, covering an area of 18 meters. Its width is also quite small - only 10 meters. Needless to say, the depth of Reprois is very insignificant - only a few centimeters.
It originates from the beating spring of underground rivers that flow to a depth of several meters in underground caves. It is worth noting that Reprois consists of the waters of an underground river that flows in the deepest cave in the world of Krubera-Voronya. Since underground waters fill the shortest river in the world, it can be noted that the temperature of the river water is not at all high - only 11 , therefore it is impossible to stay in it for a long time.
Research evidence has shown that the waters of the smallest river are clean and potable. They are even compared to pure spring waters.
18 meters after its beginning, the river flows into the Black Sea. But it is worth noting that the river "bears" its beginning and end within the beach.
Local legend
It would seem that there is not much attention to such a tiny water body? However, in Abkhazia there is even a legend dedicated to the river. She says that Reprois is nothing but the tears of one of the daughters of the spirit of the underworld. This spirit lived on the Black Sea with his son and his three daughters, who were similar to each other. The daughters cooked and made clothes, and the father made weapons for his son and for other warriors who defended the Gagra Pass. Thanks to these weapons, the soldiers were invincible. But, when the spirit died, there was no one to make weapons, and the son, along with his associates, died at the hands of the attacking enemies. When enemy troops captured almost the entire coast of the Black Sea, they walled up the passages of three underground caves, which served as an exit for the sisters to their father and brother. Learning about the death of his brother, the sisters imprisoned in caves began to shed the bitter tears that formed the streams, and then the rivers Reprois, Anihamtsu and Bereherepst, which are located nearby from each other.
So, having put together a beautiful legend, the indigenous Abkhazians spoke about the appearance of Reprois. Although in scientific sources there is no information about its true origin and about the time of its origin.
All three of these rivers have cold waters with the same temperature as in the springs. By the way, the name Bagherepst is translated as “cold river”.
The significance of the river for the city and population
Despite such modest parameters of the river, it still benefits the entire city. Reprois serves as a conductor of water intake throughout Gagra.
What else can you learn about the river?
Despite the fact that the river is not deep, it has never dried up during its entire existence. This is understandable, because underground water replenishes it.
The course of Reprois is strong. Large stones protrude over its entire surface.
Representatives of aquatic flora and fauna live in the river: algae, plankton, unicellular organisms and small fish.
If we compare the Abkhazian Reprois with other small rivers of the world, it can be noted that this river is several times shorter than the others. So, for example, the Row River, which flows in the United States and also claims to be the smallest river in the world, has a length of 61 meters, which is a little for the river.
Name of the river: what does "reprise" mean?
The smallest river in the world has the name of Abkhazian origin, but of French sound. "Reprois" translates as "jumping." But this name does not carry a semantic load on the river, since Reprois is the name of not only a small rivulet, but also a huge natural complex. The name is "the exit of fresh water to the coastal sea zone", which is why the indigenous people call the river Reprois. By the way, cave outlets open not only on the shore, near the sea, but also in the sea itself, at a depth of 5-10 meters. To more accurately imagine the “reproi” process, you can simply draw a full bath of water, place the holes up on the bottom of the shower and turn on the powerful water pressure. "Keys" are formed on the surface of the water, simulating the withdrawal of groundwater to the earth's surface.
Conclusion
Even the smallest water body does not go unnoticed by scientists and tourists. Reprois is a well-known Abkhazian river, which has "grown" with its own legend. It has become a place where tourists gather annually to look at the rivulet, whose proportions do not exceed the size of a standard pool.
It is surprising that such a "river" record was set in a small republic. Several dozens of water bodies can claim the title of the smallest river in Russia. In total, there are about 3 million small rivers in the Russian Federation.