| Olt | |||||||||||
| Map: | Raul Olt.png | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Type1: | Country | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Name1: | Romania | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Type2: | Counties | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Name2: | Harghita, Covasna, Brașov, Sibiu, Vâlcea, Olt, Teleorman | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Type3: | Cities | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Name3: | Sfântu Gheorghe, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Slatina | ||||||||||
| Length: | 615km (382miles) | ||||||||||
| Discharge1 Location: | mouth | ||||||||||
| Source1: | Hășmaș Mountains | ||||||||||
| Source1 Location: | Bălan, Harghita | ||||||||||
| Source1 Elevation: | 1440m (4,720feet) | ||||||||||
| Mouth: | Danube | ||||||||||
| Mouth Location: | near Turnu Măgurele | ||||||||||
| Mouth Coordinates: | 43.7128°N 24.8003°W | ||||||||||
| Basin Size: | 24050km2 | ||||||||||
| Tributaries Left: | Râul Negru, Bârsa, Topolog | ||||||||||
| Tributaries Right: | Cormoș, Cibin, Lotru, Olteț | ||||||||||
| Custom Label: | River code | ||||||||||
| Custom Data: | VIII.1 | ||||||||||
| Extra: |
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The Olt (Romanian and Hungarian; German: Alt; Latin: Aluta or Latin: Alutus, Turkish: Oltu, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἄλυτος Alytos) is a river in Romania. It is 615km (382miles) long, and its basin area is 24050km2. It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its average discharge at the mouth is . It originates in the Hășmaș Mountains of the eastern Carpathian Mountains, near Bălan, rising close to the headwaters of the river Mureș. The Olt flows through the Romanian counties of Harghita, Covasna, Brașov, Sibiu, Vâlcea, and Olt. The river was known as Alutus or Aluta in Roman antiquity. Olt County and the historical province of Oltenia are named after the river.
Sfântu Gheorghe, Râmnicu Vâlcea and Slatina are the main cities on the river Olt. The Olt flows into the Danube river near Turnu Măgurele.
The main cities along the river Olt are Miercurea Ciuc, Sfântu Gheorghe, Făgăraș, Râmnicu Vâlcea and Slatina.
The Olt passes through the following communes, from source to mouth: Bălan, Sândominic, Tomești, Cârța, Dănești, Mădăraș, Racu, Siculeni, Ciceu, Miercurea Ciuc, Sâncrăieni, Sântimbru, Sânsimion, Tușnad, Băile Tușnad, Bixad, Micfalău, Malnaș, Bodoc, Ghidfalău, Sfântu Gheorghe, Ilieni, Prejmer, Hărman, Vâlcele, Bod, Feldioara, Hăghig, Măieruș, Belin, Apața, Aita Mare, Ormeniș, Baraolt, Augustin, Racoș, Hoghiz, Ungra, Comăna, Părău, Șercaia, Mândra, Făgăraș, Beclean, Voila, Viștea, Ucea, Arpașu de Jos, Cârța, Porumbacu de Jos, Avrig, Racovița, Tălmaciu, Turnu Roșu, Boița, Câineni, Racovița, Brezoi, Călimănești, Dăești, Bujoreni, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Budești, Mihăești, Galicea, Băbeni, Ionești, Olanu, Drăgoești, Orlești, Dobroteasa, Prundeni, Vulturești, Verguleasa, Drăgășani, Voicești, Teslui, Grădinari, Strejești, Curtișoara, Pleșoiu, Găneasa, Olt, Slatina, Slătioara, Milcov, Piatra-Olt, Brâncoveni, Ipotești, Osica de Sus, Coteana, Fălcoiu, Mărunței, Drăgănești-Olt, Fărcașele, Stoenești, Dăneasa, Gostavățu, Sprâncenata, Băbiciu, Scărișoara, Rusănești, Cilieni, Tia Mare, Izbiceni, Lunca, Giuvărăști and Islaz.
The following rivers are tributaries of the river Olt (from source to mouth):
For supply of drinking water and water for irrigation and for the production of hydroelectricity, 44 reservoirs have been built in the Olt river basin. There are 24 reservoirs for hydropower on the river Olt itself, and three on its tributary Lotru.[1] There are hydropower plants at (from source to mouth) Voila, Viștea, Arpaș, Scoreiu, Avrig, Gura Lotrului, Turnu, Călimănești, Dăești, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Râureni, Govora, Băbeni, Ionești, Zăvideni, Drăgășani, Strejești, Arcești, Slatina, Ipotești, Drăgănești, Frunzaru, Rusănești and Izbiceni. The total energy production of the 43 hydropower plants in the Olt basin was 2,980 GWh in 1996.[2]