river in Bashkortostan republic, west-central Russia. The Belaya is the largest tributary of the Kama River, which is itself an important tributary of the Volga. The Belaya rises in the southern Urals at the foot of Mount Iremel, and after flowing southwestward through a narrow mountain valley, the river turns sharply north and its valley becomes broad and terraced. After a course of 882 miles (1,420 km), the Belaya joins the Kama above Derbeshinsky. The Belaya's major tributary is the Ufa River.