The Scheldt, also spelled Schelde, rises in France, flows northeast across Belgium, and terminates at Antwerp. The Scheldt estuary connects Antwerp with the North Sea. From 1648-1863 (interrupted briefly during the Napoleonic years), the Dutch shut down the Scheldt Estuary, preventing Antwerp's use as a port. The major tributary of the Scheldt is the Leie River, which joins it at Gent.
