The ArgeÃÂ () is a river in Southern Romania, a left tributary of the Danube. It is long, and its basin area is . Its source is in the FÃÂgÃÂraÃÂ Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians and it flows into the Danube at OlteniÃÂa. Its average discharge at the mouth is .
The main city on the ArgeÃÂ is PiteÃÂti. Upstream, it is retained by the Vidraru Dam, which has created Lake Vidraru. Its upper course, upstream of Lake Vidraru, is also called Capra.
The river is believed to be the same as , a name mentioned by Ancient Greek historian Herodotus. The etymology of ArgeÃÂ is not clear. Traditionally, it was considered that it is derived from the ancient name, through a reconstructed term, *Argessis. The capital of Dacian leader Burebista was named Argedava, but it appears that it has no link with the name for the river.
An alternate etymology derives the name of the river from a Pecheneg word, transliterated into Romanian as (meaning ). The earliest recorded variants of the name, referring to the city of Curtea de ArgeÃÂ (), also suggest a derivation from this word: Argyas (1369), Argies (1379), ArghiÃÂ (1427), the river probably taking the name of the city.
The Albanian word means .
The following localities are situated along the river ArgeÃÂ, from source to mouth: CÃÂpÃÂÃÂânenii Ungureni, CÃÂpÃÂÃÂânenii PÃÂmânteni, Arefu, Poienarii de ArgeÃÂ, Corbeni, Rotunda, AlbeÃÂtii de ArgeÃÂ, Curtea de ArgeÃÂ, BÃÂiculeÃÂti, MeriÃÂani, Bascov, PiteÃÂti, GÃÂeÃÂti, Bolintin-Deal, AdunaÃÂii-CopÃÂceni, and OlteniÃÂa.
The river ArgeÃÂ and some of its tributaries are used for hydro energy. The hydroelectrical system consists of several dams, lakes, tunnels and power plants. The lakes built on the ArgeÃÂ River are: Vidraru, OieÃÂti, Cerbureni, Curtea de ArgeÃÂ, Zigoneni, MeriÃÂani, Budeasa, Bascov, PiteÃÂti, CÃÂlineÃÂti (or GoleÃÂti), ZÃÂvoiu (near MÃÂtÃÂsaru), Ogrezeni and MihÃÂileÃÂti. There are dams also on its tributaries.
The following rivers are tributaries to the river ArgeÃÂ (from source to mouth):