Waal

General data
- Water type: River
- Source: Rhine
- Progression: Upper Merwede (Boven Merwede) -> Lower Merwede (Beneden Merwede) -> Old Meuse (Oude Maas) -> Het Scheur -> Nieuwe Waterweg (New Waterway) -> North Sea -> Atlantic Ocean -> Planet Earth
- Climates: Temperate
- Continents: Europe
- Countries: Netherlands
Description
The Waal is the main distributary branch of the river Rhine flowing approximately 80 km (50 mi) through the Netherlands. It is the major waterway connecting the port of Rotterdam to Germany. Before it reaches Rotterdam, it joins with the Afgedamde Maas near Woudrichem to form the Boven Merwede. Along its length, Nijmegen, Tiel, Zaltbommel and Gorinchem are towns of importance with direct access to the river. The river, which is the main channel in the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta system, carries 65% of the total flow of the Rhine.