Articles relating to the river Maritsa (also known as Meriç and Evros) and its history. It is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of 480 km (300 mi), it is the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkan peninsula, and one of the largest in Europe by discharge. It flows through Bulgaria in its upper and middle reaches, while its lower course forms much of the border between Greece and Turkey. Its drainage area is about 53,000 km² (20,000 sq mi), of which 66.2% is in Bulgaria, 27.5% in Turkey and 6.3% in Greece. It is the main river of the historical region of Thrace, most of which lies in its drainage basin.