GOTA, a river of Sweden, draining the great Lake Vener. The name is also applied to the canal which leads from Gothenburg to Stockholm. The river flows out of the southern extremity of the lake almost due south to the Cattegat, which it enters by two arms enclosing the island of Hisingen, the eastern forming the harbour of the port of Gothenburg. The Gota river is 50 m. long and is navigable for large vessels, a series of locks surmounting the falls of Trollhattan (q.v.). Passing the wooded Halleberg and Hunneberg (royal shooting preserves) Lake Vener is reached at Venersborg. From Sjotorp, midway on the eastern shore, the western Gota canal leads south-east to Karlsborg. Over 20 locks raise it from the Vener level (144 ft.) to its extreme height of 30o ft., and lower it over the subsequent fall through the small lakes Viken and Botten to Lake Vetter (289 ft.), which the route crosses to Motala. The eastern canal then descends through five locks to Lake Boren, after which the canal crosses a rich plain. Lake Rox with its ruined castle of Stjernarp is next traversed.
At Norsholm a branch canal connects Lake Glan to the north, giving access to the manufacturing centre of Norrkoping. Passing Lake Asplcngen, the canal follows a cutting, and then resumes an elevated course to Soderkoping, after which the Baltic is reached at Mem. The whole distance from Gothenburg to Stockholm is about 36o m., and the voyage takes about two and one-half days. The length of artificial work on the Gota canal proper is 54 m., and there are 58 locks. The idea of a canal dates from 1516, but the construction was organized by Baron von Platten and engineered by Thomas Telford in 1810-32.