The Don is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises near Tula, southeast of Moscow, and flows for a distance of about 1,950 km (1,220 miles) to the Sea of Azov.
From its source, the river first flows southeast to Voronezh, then southwest to its mouth. The main city on the river is Rostov, its main tributary the Donets.
At its easternmost point, the Don comes near the Volga, and the Don-Volga Canal (length ca. 105 km (65 miles)), connecting both rivers, is a major waterway.
The Don was known in the times of the old Scythians as the Tanaïs, and has been a major trading route ever since.