Munirti river

The Munirti river (Mirselec Munerti ainos) is a river in Risevne, on the island of Agalmare. At 351 km, it is one of the longest rivers in the country.

Geography

The Munirti is one of the few rivers on Agalmare, and the only major river, which empties into the Lavgor Inland Sea rather than into the Elaspegian Ocean on the other side. Its length is due to its highly circuitous course through the mountains, moving from valley to valley; first moving southeast from its source near Mount Asona, it then bends westwards, then follows a long northwards loop that takes it past Mount Asona again before finally turning northwest and then west into the western coastal plain of Agalmare. Its entrance into the ocean is in Sonaira Province, near the town of Henabu.

For much of this course the Munirti is a swift, clear stream, and indeed during the summer stretches of it are well-known and popular white-water rafting spots; it also has several waterfalls, the highest of which is Ubagodo Falls where it falls around 33 metres over several stages.

As the river enters the coastal areas, however, it becomes a much tamer and wider river, being nearly 40 metres wide and 2 metres deep at parts. Several towns either form along its banks or straddle it at this stage; from the mouth towards the source the major towns include Henabu, Nitile and Haraigegonama, the provincial capital of Sonaira Province. Most of these towns are set up along the lower reaches of the river, where it was easily navigable and therefore useful as a transport route.

Cultural Significance

The Munirti River, as well as Mount Asona which it nearly encircles, is central to the culture of the Anabanganka people who are mostly concentrated in areas drained by the river, or the adjacent coast. Both these landforms are centres of religion for them, and are also linked by legend.

The Anabanganka have the custom of cremating their dead, and as according to tradition the resulting ashes are often divided into three: the first portion would be kept at home, the second brought up to be scattered on the slopes of Asona, and the third to be scattered in the river. While the mountain is seen as the place of generation for the race, the river is viewed as its sustenance, and every year several festivals are held along different spots of the river to honour it.