Sambre

Sambre
File:Namur JPG02.jpg The Sambre in the centre of Namur.
Origin	Picardy
Mouth	Meuse
Basin countries	Belgium, France
Length	193 km (120 mi)
Source elevation	199 m (653 ft)
Basin area	2,740 square kilometres (1,060 sq mi)

The Sambre is a river in northern France and in Wallonia, Belgium, left tributary of the Meuse River. The ancient Romans called the river Sabis.

Course

The source of the Sambre is near Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache, in the Aisne department. It passes through the Franco-Belgian coal basin, formerly an important industrial district. Its Belgian portion was at the western end of the sillon industriel, which was Wallonia's industrial backbone. It is canalized along much of its length and flows into the Meuse River at Namur, Belgium. The Sambre is connected with the Oise River by the Sambre-Oise Canal.

The Sambre flows through the following departments of France, provinces of Belgium and towns:

• Aisne (F): Barzy-en-Thiérache
• Nord (F): Landrecies, Aulnoye-Aymeries, Hautmont, Maubeuge
• Hainaut (B): Thuin, Montigny-le-Tilleul, Charleroi
• Namur (B): Floreffe, Namur

• 

  The Sambre at Aulne

• 

  The Sambre at Flawinne (Namur)

• 

  The Sambre at Ham-sur-Sambre

• 

  The Sambre at Moustier-sur-Sambre

Main tributaries

2

Events

• The mother of René Magritte, a famous surrealist painter, killed herself by drowning in this river.

Battles

The 19th-century theory that the Sambre was the location of Julius Caesar's battle against a Belgic confederation (57 BC), was discarded a long time ago, but is still repeated.

Heavy fighting occurred along the river during World War I, especially at the siege of Namur in 1914 (Battle of Charleroi) and in the last month of the war (Battle of the Sambre (1918)).

External links

• The Sambre at the Sandre database