The Rhine is the largest river in western Europe, which originates from the northern foot of the Swiss Alps, flows through Liechtenstein, Austria, France, Germany and the Netherlands in the northwest, and finally flows into the North Sea near Rotterdam. The Rhine, with a total length of1.232km, is a famous international river in Europe, leaving footprints of Liechtenstein, Austria, France and the Netherlands along the way. Since the 18 15 Vienna Conference, it has become an international shipping waterway, reaching as far as Feilden Rhine on the Swiss-German border, with a navigable length of about 869 kilometers (540 miles). The basin area (including the delta) exceeds 22,000 square kilometers (85,000 square miles). The Rhine River is abundant in water throughout the year, with a navigation mileage of 886 kilometers from Basel, Switzerland. Many tributaries on both sides of the strait are connected with Danube and Rhone River through a series of canals, forming a water transport network extending in all directions. The Rhine River flows through major industrial areas in Europe and is densely populated. Germany's modern industrial zone Ruhr lies between its tributaries Ruhr and Lipper. Between the Ruhr River and the Lipper River, it is connected with the Rhine River through four artificially dug canals and 74 river ports, from which 7000 tons of seagoing ships can directly reach the North Sea. The Rhine waterway is like a highway. Every once in a while, there is a milestone marked in kilometers.
The Rhine River not only ensures the industrial water use in Ruhr area, but also provides important traffic conditions for Ruhr area. It is relying on this convenient transportation condition that a large number of iron ore and other mineral raw materials can be continuously transported here from abroad. The inland river shipping network between Ruhr-gebiet and the Netherlands is very busy, with ships coming and going every day. Just like the traffic on the street, the freight volume ranks among the top in the world.