Seine

Seine (ancient Sequana), river, northern France, rising on the Plateau of Langres, near Dijon, and flowing north-west past Troyes, Fontainebleau, Paris, and Rouen, into the English Channel. The estuary, about 10 km (6 mi) wide, passes between Le Havre and Honfleur. In 1995 a cable-stayed bridge with a central span of 856 m (2,808 ft), the world's longest such span, was opened across the river at this point. The river is about 776 km (482 mi) long. It is navigable for riverboats from Bar-sur-Seine, more than 563 km (350 mi) from its mouth, and for ocean shipping from Rouen, about 121 km (75 mi) from its mouth. The Seine drains an area of more than 77,700 sq km (30,000 sq mi). It receives the Aube, Marne, and Oise rivers from the north and the Yonne and Eure rivers from the south. It is connected by canals with the Schelde, Meuse, Rhine, Saône, and Loire rivers. In January 1910 disastrous floods occurred; the river rose more than 7 m (24 ft) above its normal level at Paris. Serious flooding also occurred in 1993 and 1995. There are several islands in the river, which in Paris particularly have been built on; Notre Dame cathedral is on the Île de la Cité. The river is crossed by 27 bridges in the central Paris area, where its banks were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.