Akhtuba

{{short description|River in Russia}}

File:Achtuba.JPG

The Akhtuba ({{langx|ru|А́хтуба}}); also transliterated Achtuba on some maps) is a left distributary of the Volga in southern Russia.{{cite book | last=Golosov | first=V. | last2=Belyaev | first2=V. | last3=Walling | first3=D.E. | title=Sediment Transfer Through the Fluvial System: Proceedings of the International Symposium Held at Moscow, Russia, from 2 to 6 August, 2004 | publisher=IAHS | series=IAHS publication | year=2004 | isbn=978-1-901502-67-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SnRW2HWK8TgC&pg=PA303| page=303}}

The Akhtuba splits off the Volga shortly before the city of Volgograd (at {{coord|48.8167|44.6880|region:RU_type:river_source:Wikimapia}}), and flows toward the Volga Delta and Caspian Sea. The old beginning of Akhtuba was blocked by the dam of the Volga Hydroelectric Station; now it flows from the Volga via an artificial outtake canal {{convert|6.5|km|mi}} long that starts below the dam. The river is {{convert|537|km|mi}} long; the average water flow is {{convert|153|m3/s|cuft/s}}.

The following cities lie on or near the Akhtuba: Volzhsky (at the beginning of the river), Leninsk, Znamensk, Akhtubinsk, Kharabali (within 5 kilometres of the river). The capital of the Golden Horde, Sarai Batu, was most likely located along the Akhtuba as well, not far from Kharabali.{{cn|date=July 2020}}

The area between the Volga and the Akhtuba is known as the Volga-Akhtuba plain, which is one of Russia's primary vegetable-growing regions. It is particularly well known as a major source of watermelons consumed in Russia.