Ulla (river)

The Ulla (río Ulla in Galician and Spanish) is a river in Galicia, Spain.

Ulla River
River Ulla
Map of the Río Ulla river basin
Native name	Río Ulla (Galician)
Location
Country	Spain
State	Galicia (Spain)
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Montes da Vacaloura, Monterroso, Province of Lugo
• coordinates	42.745, -7.82
• elevation	570 m
Mouth	Ría de Arousa estuary
• location	near Catoira, Spain
• coordinates	42.67, -8.73
• elevation	sea level
Length	132 km (82 mi)
Basin size	2,800 km2 (1,100 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	79.3[1] m3/s (2,800 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Arnego, Deza, Liñares, Vea, Valga, Louro
• right	Pambre, Furelos, Beseña, Iso, Lañas, Brandelos, Santa Lucía, Sar

Its source is sometimes given as Antas de Ulla and sometimes the neighbouring municipality of Monterroso. It flows to the Ría de Arosa estuary near the city of Catoira. Its basin is the second largest in Galicia after the basin of Minho River. Tributaries include the rivers Deza and Arnego.

The river is valued by archaeologists owing to the large number of neolithic artefacts found there. At the outlet of the Ulla River and the mouth of the estuary, called Ría de Arousa, there are two sites where archaeologists have discovered remains including rock carvings. The Ulla River is also important because it is the river in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula to produce a large number of watery hoards, which were discovered in its lower reaches and its mouth.

Etymology

According to E. Bascuas, "Ulla" is a form belonging to the old European hydronymy, and derived from the Indoeuropean root *wel- 'wheel, rotate'. This toponym is registered in 906 as "(fluvius) Volia", which had derived from a previous form *Wulia.^[2]

See also

• List of rivers of Spain
• Rivers of Galicia