Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Neman river rises from two small headwaters merging about 10 kilometers southwest of Uzda in central Belarus. This starting point lies approximately 300 kilometers southwest of Minsk, the capital city.
The total length of the Neman river spans 937 kilometers making it one of the longest rivers in the region. It drains into the Curonian Lagoon which connects narrowly to the Baltic Sea after flowing generally west toward Grodno before turning north to Kaunas.
Napoleon's army crossed the Neman river in June 1812 beginning the French invasion of Russia. He signed a treaty with Tsar Alexander I on a raft floating in the river during 1807.
Fish populations include perch pike zander roach tench bream rudd ruffe and bleak throughout the main channel. Tributaries support stone loach three-spined stickleback minnows trout sculpins gudge dace and chub species.
The Neman river flows at an average speed of 0.5 meters per second making it slow compared to other major European waterways. Most of the river follows a path shaped by underlying tectonic faults rather than conventional erosion patterns.