- published: 13 Mar 2009
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The Drava (German: Drau; Hungarian: Dráva) or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, which is an important tributary of the Danube. Its source is in Italian South Tyrol, at the drainage divide of Toblach (Dobbiaco) in the Puster Valley. It flows eastwards through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria into Slovenia for 142 kilometres (88 mi) and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and Hungary, before it joins the Danube near Osijek.
In ancient times the river was known as Dravus. The name is most likely of Celtic or Illyrian origin (see Old European hydronymy). The river gives its name to the dravite species of tourmaline.
The Drava (along with one of its tributaries the Slizza) and the Spöl are the only two rivers originating in Italy that belong to the Danube drainage basin. It is the fourth longest Danube tributary. The Gail in Austria, the Meža and Dravinja in Slovenia, and the Bednja in Croatia from the south, as well as the Gurk and the Lavant in Austria, and the Mur (near Legrad) in Croatia from the north are its main tributaries.