Erenik

Erenik Ribnik
File:Die Schneiderbrücke (Ura e Terzive) über den Fluss Erenik, Kosovo - panoramio.jpg Erenik
Native name	Ereniku (Albanian) Ереник (Serbian)
Location
Country	Kosovo
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Gjeravica, Accursed Mountains, Kosovo
Mouth
• location	White Drin, east of Gjakova, Kosovo
• coordinates
Length	51 km (32 mi)
Basin size	516 km2 (199 sq mi)
Basin features
Progression	White Drin→ Drin→ Adriatic Sea
Cities	Junik, Gjakova

The Erenik (Albanian definite form: Ereniku, Serbian Cyrillic: Ереник), or Ribnik (Serbian Cyrillic: Рибник), is a river in Kosovo. Located in the west of the country, it measures 51 km (32 mi)-long, a right tributary to the White Drin.

The Erenik originates near the Albanian border, in the northern slopes of the Junik Mountains, a part of the Accursed Mountains, under the Gjeravica peak (2,656 m or 8,714 ft), the highest mountain in Kosovo. The river flows to the south and south-east, following the eastern edge of the Accursed Mountains, dividing them from the western region.

Before passing through Gjakova, there is a string of settlements: the villages of Berjah, Stubëll, Nivokaz, Popoc, Shishman, and Ponoshec, the small town of Junik and the village and mine of Babaj i Bokës. It receives many streams from the right, flowing down from the Accursed Mountains (most notably, Shlepica and Reqica), but the Erenik's major tributaries are from its western side (Trava and Lumbardhi i Lloqanit).

After Gjakova, the Erenik flows beside the villages of Raçë and Bishtazhin, soon emptying into the White Drin near the village and hill of Pogragja. The river formed an epigene gallery feature called Ura e Fshejtë in the hill. The river valley in this final section serves as a part of the route of the Peja-Gjakova-Prizren road.

The Erenik belongs to the Adriatic Sea drainage basin, draining an area of 516 km² (199 sq mi). It is not navigable.

See also

• Terzi Bridge

Bibliography

• Mala Prosvetina Enciklopedija, Third edition (1985); Prosveta;
• Jovan Đ. Marković (1990): Enciklopedijski geografski leksikon Jugoslavije; Svjetlost-Sarajevo;