Rio Minho redirects here. For the river of that name in Jamaica, see Rio Minho (Jamaica)

Map showing the location of the Minho. At 928 km long long the Rio Minho is the longest river in Jamaica.

The Minho (pron. IPA: ['miɲu]) is the longest river in Galicia, Spain, with an extension of 340 km. Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.

It is spelled Minho in Portuguese, Miño in Spanish and Galician. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Both names come from Latin Minius. The Minho waters vineyards and farmland, is used to produce hydroelectric power, and also delineates a section of the Spanish/Portuguese border. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula.

The source of the Minho lies about 50 km north of Lugo in Galicia. Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. The river passes just south of the walls of this old Roman city and flows south through canyons until the valley widens north of Ourense. Ourense (Orense Galician: Ourense) is a city in northwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Ourense in Galicia. The river has been harnessed in reservoirs from Portomarín to Frieira. Portomarín is a municipality in the Spanish province of Lugo. In its length it has the following reservoirs: Belesar with 654 hm³, Peares with 182 hm³, Velle with 17 hm³, Castrelo with 60 hm³ and Frieira with 44 hm³.

Twenty kilometers north of Ourense at Os Peares the Minho receives the waters of its main tributary, the Sil. The Sil is a River in Galicia, Spain, tributary of the Miño. Passing Ourense, the river flows in a southwest direction until reaching the Portuguese border near Melgaço. Melgaço ( pron mɛɫ'gasu is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 238 There is one major dam at Frieira near the town of Ribadavia, which is famous for its Ribeiro wine (called after the name of the region). Ribeiro is a Surname common in Galicia, Portugal and Brazil. It is also a Wine -making region of Southeast central Galicia

The Portuguese Minho divides the two countries for about 80 km. The valley is a lush, green agricultural area where every square metre of land is used to produce corn, potatoes, cabbage, or just grass, depending on the time of year, and everywhere edging the fields, rivers and gardens, wherever there is space, the vines which produce the light, slightly sparkling “Vinho Verde” peculiar to this area. The very best of these, Alvarinho, is produced in the area around Monção and Melgaço. Albariño (/ˌalbaˈɾiːɲo/ &ndash Galician) or Alvarinho (/ˌal Monção ( pron. mõ'sɐ̃w̃ is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 211 Melgaço ( pron mɛɫ'gasu is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 238

Passing the medieval towns of Melgaço and Monção the Minho divides the Spanish Tui and Portuguese Valença do Minho, towns that guarded an important crossing for road and rail. Tui is a town located in Galicia (Spain, in the province of Pontevedra. Valença ( pron. vɐ'lẽsɐ also known as Valença do Minho, is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 117 Both towns preserve fortifications and are national monuments. The Minho reaches the Atlantic near Caminha. Caminha ( pron kɐ'miɲɐ is a municipality in the north-west of Portugal, 21 km north from Viana do Castelo located in the district of Viana do Castelo

Tributaries

Right bank → in the province of Pontevedra: Río Tamuxe (also called Carballas, Carballo ou Carvallo), Río Pego, Río Cereixo da Brinha, Río Furnia (also called Forcadela), Río Louro, Río Tea, Río Caselas, Río Tea, Río Deva (there is another Deva River on the left bank), Río Ribadil, Río Cea. See also Galician wine In the province of Ourense: Río Avia, Río Barbantiño. The Avia river is an affluent of the Miño River with a length of 36 Río Bubal on the border of Ourense with Lugo. In the province of Lugo: Río Asma, Río Narón, Río Ferreira, Río Mera, Río Narla, Río Ladra, Río Támoga, Río Anllo. Lugo is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Galicia.

Left bank → Rio Mouro, Rio Gadanha e Rio Coura on the Portuguese bank, Río Deva (there is another Deva River on the right bank), Río Arnoia, Río Barbaña (in the city of Ourense), Río Lonia (in the city of Ourense), Sil River, Río Sardiñeira, Río Loio, Río Neira, Río Chamoso, Río Robra (also called río Santa Marta), Río Lea, Río Azúmar. Ourense (Orense Galician: Ourense) is a city in northwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Ourense in Galicia. The Sil is a River in Galicia, Spain, tributary of the Miño.

External links

• Rio Miño: un rio maltratado (from archive.org)
• El Rio Miño y ciudad de Tui
• The Minho River Wine Tour
• Minho River border

Coordinates: 41°51′55″N 8°52′11″W / 41.86528, -8.86972