Šešupė

Šešupė
Map of the Šešupė river
Location
Country	Lithuania, Poland, Russia
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	18 km north of Suwałki
Mouth
• location	Neman near Neman town
• coordinates	55°03′15″N 22°12′01″E
Length	298 km (185 mi)
Basin size	6,105 km2 (2,357 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	18 m3/s (640 cu ft/s) (near Kudirkos Naumiestis)
Basin features
Progression	Neman→ Baltic Sea
Tributaries
• left	Rausvė, Širvinta
• right	Szelmentka, Dovinė, Pilvė, Višakis, Nova, Siesartis

The Šešupė (pronounced [ˈʃɛːʃʊːpeː] ^ⓘ); Russian: Шешупе; Polish: Szeszupa; German: Scheschup(p)e, Ostfluss) is a 298 km long river that flows through Poland (27 km), Lithuania (158 km), and Russia (62 km). The river flows for 51 km along the border between the Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of Russia, and Lithuania. The Šešupė originates near the Polish village of Szeszupka, about 16 km from the Polish-Lithuanian border, and flows into the Nemunas, near the town of Neman, on the border between Lithuania and Kaliningrad Oblast.

Major towns and cities along the river, from the Nemunas to the source, are: Kudirkos Naumiestis, Pilviškiai, Marijampolė, and Kalvarija.

There are parts of Kaliningrad and Lithuania that are on the opposite side of the river, including a small island that is mostly Russian but has an area belonging to Lithuania.

The Šešupė is the fourth-longest river in Lithuania.

• Left tributaries: Sūduonia, Rausvė, Širvinta, Alksnupė (Staraya; Russian: Старая).
• Right tributaries: Šelmenta, Kirsna, Dovinė, Sasna, Pilvė, Višakis, Milupė, Nenupė, Nova, Aukspirta, Siesartis, Jotija.

The Šešupė river near Pilviškiai

Etymology

Upė means river in Lithuanian, whereas the etymology of the first part Šeš- is uncertain. There are several suggestions: from šešelis: 'shadow'/'shade'; archaic stem for 'cold', 'cool'; šeše: 'quiet'. Vincas Urbutis suggests derivation from dialectal šėšė, šešis for 'blackbird', also suggesting Old Prussian influense.