Douro, River

   This river in the Iberian Peninsula is about 780 kilometers (485 miles) long and thus shorter than the Tagus. Known as the Rio Douro in Portuguese and the Rio Duero in Spanish, it rises in north-central Spain, first flows west to northeast Portugal, then turns south to form a section of the Luso-Spanish frontier, and ultimately flows west into the Atlantic Ocean three kilometers south of Oporto. Within Portugal, the Douro passes through deep gorges and steep hills and has rapids. Along sections of the Douro River grow the vineyards of the port wine industry, and in Oporto, along its banks, are found the so-called wine lodges of the port wine companies.