The Olt (Romanian and Hungarian; ; or ', , Alytos) is a river in Romania. It is long, and its basin area is . It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its average discharge at the mouth is . It originates in the HÃÂÃÂmaàMountains of the eastern Carpathian Mountains, near BÃÂlan, close to the headwaters of the river MureÃÂ. The Olt flows through the Romanian counties of Harghita, Covasna, BraÃÂov, 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 MÃÂgurele.
The main cities along the river Olt are Miercurea Ciuc, Sfântu Gheorghe, FÃÂgÃÂraÃÂ, Râmnicu Vâlcea and Slatina.
The Olt passes through the following communes, from source to mouth: BÃÂlan, Sândominic, TomeÃÂti, CârÃÂa, DÃÂneÃÂti, MÃÂdÃÂraÃÂ, Racu, Siculeni, Ciceu, Miercurea Ciuc, SâncrÃÂieni, Sântimbru, Sânsimion, TuÃÂnad, BÃÂile TuÃÂnad, Bixad, MicfalÃÂu, MalnaÃÂ, Bodoc, GhidfalÃÂu, Sfântu Gheorghe, Ilieni, Prejmer, HÃÂrman, Vâlcele, Bod, Feldioara, HÃÂghig, MÃÂieruÃÂ, Belin, ApaÃÂa, Aita Mare, OrmeniÃÂ, Baraolt, Augustin, RacoÃÂ, Hoghiz, Ungra, ComÃÂna, PÃÂrÃÂu, ÃÂercaia, Mândra, FÃÂgÃÂraÃÂ, Beclean, Voila, ViÃÂtea, Ucea, ArpaÃÂu de Jos, CârÃÂa, Porumbacu de Jos, Avrig, RacoviÃÂa, TÃÂlmaciu, Turnu RoÃÂu, BoiÃÂa, Câineni, RacoviÃÂa, Brezoi, CÃÂlimÃÂneÃÂti, DÃÂeÃÂti, Bujoreni, Râmnicu Vâlcea, BudeÃÂti, MihÃÂeÃÂti, Galicea, BÃÂbeni, IoneÃÂti, Olanu, DrÃÂgoeÃÂti, OrleÃÂti, Dobroteasa, Prundeni, VultureÃÂti, Verguleasa, DrÃÂgÃÂÃÂani, VoiceÃÂti, Teslui, GrÃÂdinari, StrejeÃÂti, CurtiÃÂoara, PleÃÂoiu, GÃÂneasa, Olt, Slatina, SlÃÂtioara, Milcov, Piatra-Olt, Brâncoveni, IpoteÃÂti, Osica de Sus, Coteana, FÃÂlcoiu, MÃÂrunÃÂei, DrÃÂgÃÂneÃÂti-Olt, FÃÂrcaÃÂele, StoeneÃÂti, DÃÂneasa, GostavÃÂÃÂu, Sprâncenata, BÃÂbiciu, ScÃÂriÃÂoara, RusÃÂneÃÂti, Cilieni, Tia Mare, Izbiceni, Lunca, GiuvÃÂrÃÂÃÂti 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. There are hydropower plants at (from source to mouth) Voila, ViÃÂtea, ArpaÃÂ, Scoreiu, Avrig, Gura Lotrului, Turnu, CÃÂlimÃÂneÃÂti, DÃÂeÃÂti, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Râureni, Govora, BÃÂbeni, IoneÃÂti, ZÃÂvideni, DrÃÂgÃÂÃÂani, StrejeÃÂti, ArceÃÂti, Slatina, IpoteÃÂti, DrÃÂgÃÂneÃÂti, Frunzaru, RusÃÂneÃÂti and Izbiceni. The total energy production of the 43 hydropower plants in the Olt basin was 2,980 GWh in 1996.