# Narew

The Narew (; Belarusian: Нараў, romanized: Naraŭ; Lithuanian: Narevas or Naruva) is a 499-kilometre (310 mi) river primarily in north-eastern Poland. It is a tributary of the river Vistula. The Narew is one of Europe's few braided rivers, the term relating to the twisted channels resembling braided hair. Around 57 kilometres (35 mi) of the river flows through western Belarus.

## Etymology

The name of the river is from a Proto-Indo-European root *nr primarily associated with water (compare Neretva, Neris, Ner and Nur) or from a Lithuanian language verb nerti associated primarily with diving and flood.

## Name of the lower portion

The portion of the river between the junctions with the Western Bug and the Vistula is also known as the Bugonarew, Narwio-Bug, Narwo-Bug, Bugo-Narew, Narwiobug or Narwobug. At the confluence near Zegrze the Bug is 1.6x longer, drains a 1.4x larger basin, and has a slightly greater average discharge (158 m³/s at Wyszków vs 146 m³/s at Pułtusk for the Narew, both ~25 km above the junction). Thus the Bugonarew was often considered part of the Bug river and the Narew a right tributary of the Bug.
On December 27, 1962, Prime Minister Józef Cyrankiewicz abolished the name Bugonarew soon after the Zegrze Reservoir had been constructed. Since then the river Bug has officially been considered part of the river Narew's system, with the Bug being a left tributary of the Narew (by this classification, the River Narew is a right tributary of the River Vistula). The name Bugonarew however is still used, especially by the inhabitants of local towns, such as Pułtusk.

## Geography

The Narew flows through the geographical region of Europe known as the Wysoczyzny Podlasko – Bialoruskie (English: Plateau of Podlasie and Belarus) located within the Podlaskie Voivodeship and Masovian Voivodeship of Poland and the Hrodna Voblast of Belarus.
| Country | Length | Basin Area |
| Belarus | 57 kilometres (35 mi) | |
| Poland | 443 kilometres (275 mi) | 53,846 square kilometres (20,790 sq mi) |
| Total | 499 kilometres (310 mi) | 74,527 square kilometres (28,775 sq mi) |
The Narew is the fifth longest Polish river.

## Cities and towns

| Country Voivodeship | County | Gmina | Village | Comments |
| Belarus | | | Czoło - osada | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Hajnowski | Narewka | Siemianówka | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Białystok | Michałowo | Bondary | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Hajnowski | Narew | Narew | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Białystok | Zabłudów | Kaniuki | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Białystok | Juchnowiec Kościelny | Czerewki | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Bielsk | Wyszki | Strabla | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | białostocki | Suraż | Suraż | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | białostocki | Łapy | Uhowo | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | białostocki | Turośń Kościelna | Topilec | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | wysokomazowiecki | Kobylin-Borzymy | Kurowo | The seat of Narwiański Park Narodowy |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | wysokomazowiecki | Sokoły | Waniewo | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Białystok | Choroszcz | Choroszcz | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | moniecki | Krypno | Góra | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Białystok | Tykocin | Tykocin | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | moniecki | Trzcianne | Zajki | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Białystok | Zawady | Góra Strękowa | The fortifications defended by Captain Władysław Raginis during German Invasion of Poland |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Białystok | Zawady | Łaś-Toczyłowo | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Łomża | Wizna | Wizna | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Łomża | Piątnica | Drozdowo | The seat of Łomżyński Park Krajobrazowy Doliny Narwi and Museum of Nature |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Łomża | Łomża | Siemień Nadrzeczny | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Łomża | Piątnica | Piątnica | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Łomża | | Łomża | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | kolneński | Mały Płock | Chludnie | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Łomża | Nowogród | Nowogród | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Łomża | Zbójna | Gontarze | |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship | Łomża | Miastkowo | Nowosiedliny | The last village in Podlaskie Voivodeship |
| Masovian Voivodeship | ostrołęcki | Lelis | Łęg Starościński | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | ostrołęcki | Rzekuń | Laskowiec | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | Ostrołęka | | Ostrołęka | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | ostrołęcki | Olszewo-Borki | Ostrołęka |
| Masovian Voivodeship | ostrołęcki | Rzekuń | Dzbenin | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | makowski | Różan | Różan | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | wyszkowski | Długosiodło | Ostrykół Dworski | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | makowski | Rzewnie | Nowe Łachy | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | wyszkowski | Rząśnik | Nowy Lubiel | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | pułtuski | Obryte | Zambski Kościelne | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | pułtuski | Pułtusk | Pułtusk | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | pułtuski | Pokrzywnica | Łubienica | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | pułtuski | Zatory | Stawinoga | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | legionowski | Serock | Serock | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | legionowski | Serock | Jadwisin | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | legionowski | Nieporęt | Nieporęt | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | legionowski | Serock | Dębe | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | legionowski | Wieliszew | Topolina | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | Nowy Dwór | Pomiechówek | Stare Orzechowo | |
| Masovian Voivodeship | Nowy Dwór | | Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki | Narew flows into Vistula |

## Tributaries

| Left Bank | Right Bank | Municipality | Characteristics | Country |
| | | Czoło | Bialowieza Forest | Belarus |
| | Bierieżanka | | Bialowieza Forest Siemianówka Marshland | Poland |
| | | Siemianówka | Siemianówka Marshland | Poland |
| | | Bondary | Siemianówka Marshland | Poland |
| Narewka | | | | Poland |
| | Olszanka | | | Poland |
| | Ruda | Narew | | Poland |
| | Małynka | | | Poland |
| | Rudnia | | | Poland |
| | Czarna | Kaniuki | | Poland |
| Łoknica | | | | Poland |
| Orlanka | | Czerewki | | Poland |
| Strabelka | | Strabla | | Poland |
| Liza | | Suraż | Narew National Park | Poland |
| Awissa | | Łapy | Narew National Park | Poland |
| | Turośnianka | | Narew National Park | Poland |
| | Niewodnica | Topilec | Narew National Park | Poland |
| | | Waniewo | Narew National Park | Poland |
| | | Kurowo | Narew National Park | Poland |
| | Horodnianka | Choroszcz | Narew National Park | Poland |
| | Supraśl | Złotoria | | Poland |
| | Jaskranka | Góra | | Poland |
| | Nareśl | Tykocin | | Poland |
| Ślina | | Targonie Wielkie | | Poland |
| | | Zajki | | Poland |
| | | Góra Strękowa | | Poland |
| | Biebrza | | Biebrza National Park | Poland |
| | | Wizna | | Poland |
| | Łojewek | Bronowo | Łomżyński Valley national Park | Poland |
| Gać | | | Łomżyński Valley national Park | Poland |
| | Narwica | Łomża Piątnica | Łomżyński Valley national Park | Poland |
| Łomżyczka | | | | Poland |
| Lepacka Struga | | | | Poland |
| | Pisa | Nowogród | | Poland |
| Ruż | | Gontarze | | Poland |
| | Szkwa | Nowosiedliny | | Poland |
| | Rozoga | | | Poland |
| Czeczotka | | Ostrołęka | | Poland |
| | Omulew | Olszewo-Borki | | Poland |
| | Róż | Chełsty | | Poland |
| | | Różan | | Poland |
| Orz | | Brzóze Duże | | Poland |
| Wymakracz | | Ostrykół Dworski | | Poland |
| | Orzyc | Zambski Kościelne | | Poland |
| | Pełta | Pułtusk | | Poland |
| Bug | | Serock | Zegrze Reservoir | Poland |
| Rządza | | | Zegrze Reservoir | Poland |
| | | Nieporęt | Zegrze Reservoir | Poland |
| | | Topolina | | Poland |
| | Wkra | Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki | mouth of the river at the Vistula | Poland |

## History

On August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union and Germany signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, agreeing to divide Poland along the Narew, Vistula (Wisła), and San rivers.
On September 6, 1939, Polish military forces attempted to use the Narew as a defense line against German attack during the German invasion of Poland. This was abandoned the next day in favor of the Bug as German forces had already penetrated the defenses.
The Battle of Wizna was fought along the banks of the river between September 7 and September 10, 1939, between the forces of Poland and Germany during the initial stages of Invasion of Poland. Because it consisted of a small force holding a piece of fortified territory against a vastly larger invasion for three days at great cost before being annihilated with no known survivors, Wizna is sometimes referred to as a Polish Thermopylae in Polish culture.
On September 17, 1939, the USSR invaded Poland. By 28 September, the Soviet Army had reached the line of the rivers Narew, Bug River, Vistula and San – completing the division of Poland as negotiated in advance.