Neretva

a river in Yugoslavia. Length, 218 km; basin area, about 5,600 sq km. Rises on the slopes of the Zelengora massif; in its upper and middle courses it passes through the Dinaric Alps in a canyonlike valley (a popular tourist area). Below the city of Mostar the valley widens. The river empties into the Adriatic Sea, forming a delta. The average flow rate is 280 cu m per sec; there is flooding in spring and fall. The Jablanica Hydroelectric Power Plant, with an 85-m dam and a reservoir, is on the Neretva. The river is navigable up to the city of Metkovic (20 km from the mouth). The Dubrovnik-Sarajevo highway and railroad run through the Neretva valley.