ABOUT DANUBE DELTA



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    The Danube Delta romanian Delta Dunării; is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Romania(Tulcea county), while its northern part, on the left bank of the Chilia arm, is situated in Ukraine (Odessa OBLAST). The approximate surface is 4152 km², of which 3446 km² are in Romania. If the lagoons of Razim-Sinoe (1015 km² of which 865 km² water surface; situated in the south, but attached to the Danube Delta from geological and ecological perspectives, as well as being the combined territory of the World Heritage Site) are to be added, the considered area of the Danube Delta grows to 5165 km².





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       Distributaries of the Danube

  

The Danube branches into three main distributaries into the delta, Chilia, Sulina, and Sfantul Gheorghe (Saint George). The last two branches form the Tulcea channel, which continues as a single body for several kilometers after the separation from the Chilia. At the mouths of each channel gradual formation of a new land takes place, as the delta continues to expand.Main Distribuitores of Danube

Chilia, in the north, the longest, youngest, and most vigorous, with two secondary internal deltas and one microdelta in full process of formation at its mouth (to Ukraine).Sulina, the central and thus the shortest arm, which consequently led to its extensive use for traffic and severe transformation. At its mouth is located the main port and the single settlement with urban charactersitics of the Romanian part of the delta. Because of the alluvium deposited at its mouth, a channel gradually advancing into the sea (presently it has 10 km), was built in order to protect the navigation.Sfantul Gheorghe (Saint George in English), in the south, is the oldest and more sparsely populated. Its alluvium has led to the creation, beginning with 1897, of the Sacalin islands, which as of today measure 19 km in length

History
  
    Recorded history first noted the Delta under Dacian control before being conquered by the Romans. After invasion by the Goths the region changed hands many times. During the 15th century, the Danube Delta became part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1812, following the Russo T urkish War the borders of Ottoman and Russian Empire were set by Kilia and Old Stambul Channels of Danube, and in 1829 by St George Channel. The Treathy of Paris of 1856, which ended the Crimean War, assigned the Danube Delta to the Ottoman Empire and estabilished an international commission which made a series of works to help navigation. In 1878, following the defeat of Ottoman Empire by Russia and Romania, the border between those two was set by the Kilia and Old Stambul Channels.
In 1991, the Romanian part of the Danube Delta became part of the UNESCO list of Wold Heritage Sites. Around 2,733 km² of the delta are strictly protected areas.
In 1998, under UNESCO,Programme on man and Biosphere the 6264.03 km² of Danube Delta were established as Biosphere Reserve shared by Romania and Ukraine.
Historically, in Romania, part of Danube Delta was marked as a reserve back in 1938.
In Ukraine, the Danube branch of Black Sea State Reserve was established in 1973. In 1981 it was reorganized into Natural Reserve "Danube Fluxes", and in 1998 it was extended into Danube Biosphere Reserve.