The Neman is a major Eastern European river that rises in central Belarus. It flows through Lithuania and subsequently forms the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, which is Russia's western exclave. The river follows its southern channel along this specific border before draining into the Curonian Lagoon, which is narrowly connected to the Baltic Sea.
Spanning a total length of 937 kilometers (582 miles), the Neman flows generally west toward Grodno within 12 kilometers of the Polish border. It then turns north toward Kaunas before flowing westward again to reach the sea. The river is known by various names depending on the region, including Nioman in Belarusian, Nemunas in Lithuanian, Niemen in Polish, and Memel in German.