 | The Rhine is only 775 miles long but it's a major artery in Europe. It flows through six countries on its way from its source in Switzerland, to the North Sea. | | The Rhine is heavily populated. 50 million people live along its banks in a number of major cities. | | The Rhineland supports a great deal of industrial plants. It's responsible for 10% of the world's chemical production, as well as a variety of other industries including refineries, metal works and plastics and textile manufacturers. | | No other waterway in the world carries as much traffic as the Rhine. Every year the river transports 40 million tons of cargo by barge and ocean-going vessels. It's navigable by pleasure boats right up to Rhinefelden in Switzerland. |
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