Po

Longest river in Italy, flowing from the Cottian Alps to the Adriatic Sea; length 668 km/415 mi. Its valley is fertile and contains natural gas. It winds generally eastward in a wide valley, passing Turin, Pavia, Piacenza, Cremona, and Ferrara before entering the Adriatic. The river is heavily polluted with nitrates, phosphates, and arsenic.

The Po crosses the plains of Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna. It rises at over 1,830 m/6,000 ft in the Cottian Alps on the French border, 25 km/15 mi west of Saluzzo, and flows past Saluzzo, northeast to Turin and Chivasso, and then in a tortuous course east past Casale, Piacenza, and Cremona to the Adriatic, which it enters by a delta 55 km/34 mi long.

Among its tributaries on the left bank are the Dora Riparia (near Turin), Dora Baltea, Ticino (draining Lake Maggiore), Adda (draining Lake Como), Oglio (draining Lake Oseo), and Mincio (draining Lake Garda). Joining the right bank are the Tanaro, Trennia, Parma, and Secchia. As the current carries much sediment from the mountain torrents feeding it, the Po's delta increases rapidly. Below Piacenza embankments have been built to prevent flooding. Irrigation canals connect the various tributaries with each other and with the Po, the chief being the Cavour Canal joining the Ticino and the Po.

The Po is navigable beyond Turin, and its densely-populated valley is the most important industrial and agricultural region of Italy. Principal crops include maize, hay, grapes, and rice are important crops. Turin, Asti, Milan, Brescia, and Verona are the chief cities of the Po valley.

PO

Abbreviation for Post Office.