HAVEL RIVER

tributary of the Elbe River in Germany. It rises on the Mecklenburg Plateau 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Neustrelitz and flows through the Mecklenburg lakes before heading south as far as Spandau (in Berlin), where it is joined by the Spree River. Curving southwest past Potsdam and Brandenburg, the Havel traverses another chain of lakes and heads northwest to join the Elbe 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Havelberg after a course of 213 miles (343 km). The river drains an area of 9,372 square miles (24,273 square km). It has a total fall of only 158 feet (43 m) and is navigable downstream from the Mecklenburg lakes. Over much of its course the Havel River forms part of a canal system that links the Elbe River (west) with the Oder River (east).