In Germany, the Mittelland Canal runs between which two river systems?

Introduction / Context:
This question concerns transport geography and major inland waterways in Europe. Germany has an important artificial waterway known as the Mittelland Canal. It plays a key role in connecting different river basins and facilitating trade across the country. Understanding which rivers it links helps you visualise the larger network of continental canals and rivers in central Europe.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The canal mentioned is the Mittelland Canal in Germany.
• The options list combinations of major rivers: Elbe, Weser, Rhine, and Oder.
• The goal is to identify which river systems are connected by this canal.
• We assume standard geography textbook descriptions of European inland waterways.

Concept / Approach:
The Mittelland Canal is a long east west canal in northern Germany that links the Rhine basin in the west with the Elbe and Oder river systems in the east. It allows ships to travel from the Rhine, which flows to the North Sea, across Germany toward rivers that drain more to the east. The classic exam style description is that it runs from the Rhine to the Oder, capturing its function of joining western and eastern waterways.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Rhine is Germany’s major western river, heavily used for navigation. Step 2: Recall that the Elbe and Oder are eastern rivers, with the Oder forming part of the border between Germany and Poland. Step 3: Recognise that the Mittelland Canal is designed to connect western and eastern waterways, enabling through traffic across northern Germany. Step 4: Among the options, the pair that describes an overall west east link between a western river and an eastern river is Rhine to the Oder. Step 5: Select Rhine to the Oder as the correct description of the overall connection.

Verification / Alternative check:
Another way to visualise the answer is to imagine Germany’s map. The Rhine flows along the western side. The Oder lies on the eastern side. The Mittelland Canal runs across the central part of northern Germany, linking these systems so that ships from the Rhine and its associated canals can move toward the Elbe and farther to the Oder and beyond. While the canal intersects the Weser and the Elbe along its route, its broader function is to connect the Rhine and Oder systems as a major cross country route.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, Elbe to the Weser, describes only a part of the route and does not reflect the full cross country connection. Option B, Rhine to the Weser, again refers to a shorter link and ignores the canal’s extension toward the east. Option C, Oder to the Elbe, reverses the direction and omits the Rhine, a major part of the system that makes this canal strategically important. Only option D captures the complete function of linking the Rhine river system in the west with the Oder in the east.

Common Pitfalls:
A typical mistake is to focus only on an intermediate section of the canal and thus choose a pair like Elbe to the Weser, forgetting the full span of the canal. Another pitfall is not having a mental picture of Germany’s river layout and simply guessing based on names that sound familiar. To avoid errors, remember that the Mittelland Canal is the main west east trunk waterway in northern Germany, linking the Rhine with rivers farther east, especially the Oder.

Final Answer:
The Mittelland Canal in Germany runs between the Rhine and the Oder river systems.