Aare

Aare
Aar
Aare; Aar
	The Aare at Bern
	Drainage basin of the Aare
	Mouth
Location
Country	Switzerland
Cantons	Bern, Solothurn, Aargau
Settlements	Meiringen (BE), Interlaken (BE), Thun (BE), Münsingen, Muri bei Bern, Bern, Bremgarten bei Bern, Aarberg (BE), Büren a.A. (BE), Solothurn (SO), Aarwangen (BE), Aarburg (BE), Olten (SO), Niedergösgen (SO), Schönenwerd (SO), Aarau (AG), Wildegg (AG), Brugg (AG), Windisch (AG), Döttingen (AG), Klingnau (AG)
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Unteraar Glacier, Bernese Oberland
• coordinates	46°34′07″N 8°11′16″E / 46.56858°N 8.18774°E
• elevation	1,940 m (6,360 ft)
Mouth
• location	Rhine below Koblenz, Switzerland
• coordinates	47°36′21″N 8°13′24″E / 47.6057°N 8.2234°E
• elevation	311 m (1,020 ft)
Length	291.5 kilometres (181.1 mi)
Basin size	17,779 km2 (6,865 sq mi)
Discharge
• location	Untersiggenthal
• average	559 m3/s (19,700 cu ft/s) (MQ 1935-2013)
• minimum	351 m3/s (12,400 cu ft/s) (MNQ 1935-2013),; 138 m3/s (4,900 cu ft/s) (NNQ, 1963)
• maximum	735 m3/s (26,000 cu ft/s) (MHQ 1935-2013),; 2,656 m3/s (93,800 cu ft/s) (HHQ, 2007)
Basin features
Progression	Rhine→ North Sea
Tributaries
• left	Lütschine (Lake Brienz), Kander (Lake Thun), Gürbe, Saane/La Sarine, Zihl/La Thielle (Lakes of Neuchatel and Bienne), La Suze (Lake of Bienne), Dünnern
• right	Gadmerwasser, Zulg, Emme, Murg, Wigger, Suhre, Aabach, Reuss, Limmat, Surb
Waterbodies	Oberaarsee, Grimselsee, Räterichsbodensee, Lake Brienz, Lake Thun, Wohlensee, Lake Biel, Stausee Niederried, Klingnauer Stausee

The Aare (Swiss Standard German: [ˈaːrə] ^ⓘ) or Aar (Swiss Standard German: [aːr] ^ⓘ) is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland.^[2]^[3]

Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about 295 kilometres (183 mi),^[2]^[4] during which distance it descends 1,565 m (5,135 ft), draining an area of 17,779 km² (6,865 sq mi), almost entirely within Switzerland, and accounting for close to half the area of the country, including all of Central Switzerland.^[4]

There are more than 40 hydroelectric plants along the course of the Aare.^[5]

The river's name dates to at least the La Tène period, and it is attested as Nantaror "Aare valley" in the Berne zinc tablet.

The name was Latinized as Arula/Arola/Araris.^[6]^{[nb 1]}

^ Geoserver of the Swiss Confederation
^ ^a ^b Bridgwater & Aldrich 1968, p. 11
^ Cite error: The named reference GH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Hoiberg 2010, p. 4
^ Cite error: The named reference cohen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Kristol et al. 2005, p. 73
^ Forbiger 1848, p. 126f

Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).

[CH_GS-1] Geoserver of the Swiss Confederation

[CVDE-2] Bridgwater & Aldrich 1968, p. 11

[GH-3] Cite error: The named reference GH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[eb-4] Hoiberg 2010, p. 4

[cohen-5] Cite error: The named reference cohen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[6] Kristol et al. 2005, p. 73

[7] Forbiger 1848, p. 126f

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[nb 1]