"Neman, Nemunas or Niemen[nb 1] is a river in Europe that rises in central Belarus and flows through Lithuania then forms the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave, which specifically follows its southern channel. It drains into the Curonian Lagoon, narrowly connected to the Baltic Sea. The 937 km (582 mi) long Neman is a major Eastern European river. It flows generally west to Grodno within 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) of the Polish border, north to Kaunas, then westward again to the sea.

The largest river in Lithuania, and the third-largest in Belarus, it is navigable for most of its length. It starts from two small headwaters merging about 15 kilometers (9 mi) southwest of the town of Uzda – about 55 km (34 mi) southwest of capital city Minsk. Only 17 kilometres (11 mi), an eastward meander, contributes to the Belarus–Lithuania border. Thereafter the river includes notable loops along a minor tectonic fault.

Its drainage basin settled in the late Quaternary to be roughly along the edge of the last glacial sheet so dates to about 25,000 to 22,000 years BC. Its depth varies from 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) in its upper courses to 5 meters (16 ft) in the lower basin.

Numbers

The Neman near Grodno
The total length of the Nioman/Nemunas/Neman is 937 km (582 mi).[2] It is the 4th longest river in the Baltic Sea basin. Over its entire length, 436 km (271 mi) flows in Belarus[2] and 359 km (223 mi) in Lithuania. A 116 km (72 mi) stretch is the border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad oblast.
Its greatest depth is 5 m (16 ft), and at its widest it extends about 500 m (1,600 ft).
The Nioman/Nemunas/Neman is a slow river; it flows at about 1 to 2 m/s (3.3 to 6.6 ft/s).
During floods, water discharge can increase up to 11-fold, to more than 6,800 m3/s (240,000 cu ft/s). Severe floods occur on the lower reaches of the river about every 12 – 15 years, which sometimes wash out bridges.[3]

Neman opposite Kaliningrad Oblast (Russian exclave)
The Nioman/Nemunas/Neman is an old river, dating back to the last glacial period. Its valley is now up to 60 meters (200 ft) deep and 5 km (3 mi) broad.
It has about 105 first-class tributaries, the largest being the rivers Neris (Viliya) (510 km (320 mi)), Shchara (325 km (202 mi)), and Šešupė (298 km (185 mi)). Fifteen of the tributaries are longer than 100 km (62 mi).
In the complete Nioman/Nemunas/Neman basin, there are tributaries extending to the 11th order.
The Nemunas basin in Lithuania drains more than 20,000 rivers and rivulets and covers 72% of Lithuania's territory.
The total area of the Nioman/Nemunas/Neman basin is 98,200 km2 (37,900 sq mi),[2] 34,610 km2 (13,360 sq mi) of which are within Belarus,[2] the Lithuanian portion of this basin is 46,695 km2 (268 sq mi).
Valley of Neman in Grodno Region is the lowest point above sea level in Belarus at 80 to 90 m (260 to 300 ft).[4]
River course
Nemunas loops

Nemunas bend in Liškiava

500 litas banknote featuring Nemunas loops
Due to their location, "the Nemunas loops" are often described using the Lithuanian name for the river. In 1992 Nemunas Loops Regional Park was founded. Its goal is to preserve the loops (Lithuanian: vingis) that the river makes in the Punia forest. Near Prienai, the river makes a 17-kilometer-long (11 mi) loop (like a teardrop) coming within 1.2 km (3⁄4 mi) of completing the loop. Nemunas flows along the double bend between Balbieriškis and Birštonas for 48 km (30 mi) and then moves in a northerly direction for only 4.5 km (2+3⁄4 mi). The loops are not conventional river meanders; they follow underlying tectonic structures. The faults are the source of local mineral springs.[5] The area is historically and culturally significant. Its castles served as the first line of defense against forays by the Teutonic knights."

Saeedud Din Khan

"The Neman, Nemunas, Nyoman, Niemen or Memel, a river, rises in Belarus and flows through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon, and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda."

Marijus B

"My great-great-great grandfather crossed this river on 23/6/1812 as part of Napoleon's Imperial Guard. A great-great-great-uncle did the same thing, but as part of France's 33rd light infantry regiment. They both went into Russia, and they both returned from Moscow in one piece ... but forever changed."

Martin Frank