Ems

The Ems is a river in Germany's northwest. It flows through the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony before emptying into the Wadden Sea's Dollart Bay. It is 362.4 kilometers long in total (225.2 mi). The Ems estuary serves as the state border between the Lower Saxon region of East Friesland (Germany) and the province of Groningen (Netherlands), the exact course of which was the subject of a border dispute between Germany and the Netherlands (addressed in 2014).

The river's source is in North Rhine-southern Westphalia's Teutoburg Forest. In Lower Saxony, the brook grows to be a significant river. The river Emsland is called after the swampy region of Emsland. The Hase River, the Ems's greatest tributary, joins it in Meppen. It then flows north into East Frisia, close to the Dutch border. It pours into Dollart Bay (a national park) in Emden and then continues as a tidal river towards Delfzijl, the Dutch city.

The Ems marks the border between the Netherlands and Germany between Emden and Delfzijl, and was the subject of a minor disagreement: the Dutch believed the line ran through the geographical center of the estuary, while the Germans said it ran through the deepest channel (which is close to the Dutch coast).

Length: 362.4 km (225.2 mi)