The Vistula (/ˈvɪstjʊlə/; Polish: Wisła, Polish pronunciation: [ˈvʲiswa] (listen)) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at 1,047 kilometres (651 miles) in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers 193,960 km2 (74,890 sq mi), of which 168,868 km2 (65,200 sq mi) is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in the south of Poland, 1,220 meters (4,000 ft) above sea level in the Silesian Beskids (western part of Carpathian Mountains), where it begins with the Little White Vistula (Biała Wisełka) and the Black Little Vistula (Czarna Wisełka). It flows through Poland's largest cities, including Kraków, Sandomierz, Warsaw, Płock, Włocławek, Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Świecie, Grudziądz, Tczew and Gdańsk. It empties into the Vistula Lagoon (Zalew Wiślany) or directly into the Gdańsk Bay of the Baltic Sea with a delta of six main branches (Leniwka, Przekop, Śmiała Wisła, Martwa Wisła, Nogat and Szkarpawa). The river is often associated with Polish culture, history and national identity. It is the country's most important waterway and natural symbol, and the term "Country upon Vistula" (Polish: kraj nad Wisłą) can be synonymous with Poland. From Wikipedia
