The largest rivers in China. What are the major rivers and lakes of China? The largest lakes in China
The basins of more than one and a half thousand rivers exceed 1000 square meters. km. The average annual flow of rivers in China is about 2.7 trillion cubic meters, ranking sixth in the world after Brazil, Russia, Canada, the United States and Indonesia. More famous rivers in China: Yangtze, Huanghe, Heilongjiang, Yalutsangpo, Zhujiang, Huihe, etc. The Tarim River in Xinjiang is the longest inland river in China, with a length of 2,100 km.
Main rivers
The Yangtze is the largest river in China, originates in the snow-capped mountains of Geladandong of the Tangla mountain system, flows through 11 provinces, autonomous regions and cities of central subordination and flows into the East China Sea, its total length is 6300 km, it ranks 3rd in length place in the world and 1st place in Asia. The Yangtze has many tributaries, the main ones are: Yalongjiang, Minjiang, Jialingjiang, Hanjiang, Wujiang, Xiangjiang, Ganjiang, etc. The basin area is 1.8 million square meters. km, or 18.8% of the total area of China. The Yangtze is an important shipping route in China. On the stretch of the Yangtze River from Fengjie County in Chongqing to Yichang in Hubei Province, the Sanxia Canyon is 193 km long. The construction of the famous Sanxia hydroelectric complex began in 1994 and completed in 2009, which can curb rare floods, and the annual electricity generation will be 84.7 billion kWh, the hydroelectric complex will also improve the fairway, provide water to cities and towns on average and lower reaches of the river, for irrigation of field lands.
The Yellow River is the second largest river in China, originates in the northern spurs of the Baiangla Mountains in Qinghai Province and flows through nine provinces and autonomous regions, flows into the Bohai Sea. The length of the Yellow River is 5464 km, its basin covers an area of more than 750 thousand square meters. km. The number of its main tributaries is more than 40. The main ones are Fenhe and Weihe. The soil of the Loess Plateau, through which the Yellow River flows, contains a lot of calcium carbonate, which is very hard when dry, but when it rains, it instantly turns into a liquid, easily washed off with water. A large amount of silt and sand, along with water, enter the Yellow River, turning it into a river with the highest silt content in the world, as a result, the height of the Yellow River's channel rises by 10 cm annually. At present, many hydroelectric facilities have already been built in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, such , like Longyangxia, Lujiaxia, Qingtongxia.
Heilongjiang flows through the northern part of the country, the border river between China and Russia, its basin covers an area of more than 900 thousand square meters. km, the length of the river within China is 3420 km.
Yalutsangpo originates from the Kimayangzom glacier in the northern spurs of the Himalayas in Zhongba County, the length of the river within China is 2057 km, the basin area of \u200b\u200bwhich is 240480 square meters. km, the average height above sea level of the basin is about 4500 m, is the river with the highest altitude in the world above sea level.
Zhujiang is the largest river in South China, the total length is 2214 km, the basin area is 453.69 thousand square meters. km, in terms of water resources, it ranks second in China, second only to the Yangtze.
Huihe: basin area - 269.238 thousand square meters km, total length - 1000 km.
Songhuajiang: basin area - 557.18 thousand square meters km, total length - 2308 km.
Liaohe: basin area - 228.96 thousand square meters. km, total length - 1390 km.
The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was dug in the 5th century BC. e., leads from Beijing to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. It pulls from north to south for 1800 km, flows through the cities of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang provinces, links the Haihe, Huanghe, Huaihe, Yangtze and Qiantangjiang rivers, making it the earliest and longest artificial canal in the world .
lakes
China is rich in lakes, with 2,800 lakes over 1 sq. km each and 130 lakes with an area of more than 100 km each. In addition, many artificial lakes and reservoirs are also scattered throughout the country. These lakes can be divided into fresh and salty. Large lakes are scattered mainly in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The largest freshwater lake in China is Poyang, the largest salty lake is Qinghaihu.
Numerous large rivers tirelessly flow throughout the vast country. There are more than one and a half thousand of them, and the total area of their catchment area exceeds a thousand square kilometers. The total volume of annual flow is 2.7 trillion cubic meters and is in third place in the world, while the total volume of water resources occupies an honorable first place. The potential energy of all water resources is 680 million kilowatts, of which 370 million kilowatts are already available. Basically, Chinese rivers flow from west to east and flow directly into the sea. Some flow into the Pacific Ocean, such as the Yangtze, Yellow River, Heilongjiang and Zhujiang. Several rivers flow south into the Indian Ocean, such as the Yarlong Pzanbo and Pujiang. The exception is the Irtysh River, which alone carries its waters to the Arctic Ocean. The rivers that flow directly into the seas are called the main ones. Others either disappear into deserts or flow into lakes or main rivers and are called tributaries. The Tarim River in Xinjiang is the country's largest tributary.
The turbulent Yangtze is China's largest river. Its length is 6300 km, and it ranks third in the world in terms of length. The source of the Yangtze is located in the western part of Qihai Province, the channel runs through eleven provinces and autonomous regions, and it flows into the East China Sea. The Yangtze basin occupies one fifth of the entire territory of China. The river serves as the most important way of communication, and in addition, plays a significant role in the irrigation of lands. The main channel of the river, together with its tributaries, provides rich water resources, accounting for about 40% of the country's total water resources.
Huang He is a mother river, because the ancient civilization of China originated on its banks. This river also originates in Qihai Province, flows through nine provinces and autonomous regions, and flows into the Bohai Bay. Its total length is 5464 km. Over the centuries, the course of this river has changed several times. Its turbulent yellow waters not only bring good, but also cause destruction. The history of the Chinese people has always been accompanied by a struggle with the raging Huang He. In addition to rivers, there are many artificial canals in the country. The Grand Canal, opened during the reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, at one time connected the south of China with its north. It is laid but in a straight line from Haizhou to Beijing. The length of the canal is 1794 km, which makes it the longest canal not only in the country, but in the whole world. This main north-south waterway is currently being reconstructed, and one day it will be possible to board a boat in Beijing and take a long journey to the "heavenly places" of Suzhou and Hangzhou.
There are many lakes in the country that adorn China like a pearl necklace falling onto a mother's breast - there are more than one hundred and thirty of them, with a total area of more than 100 square meters. km. There are also many ponds, that is, lakes of artificial origin. In the Yangtze River valley, in its middle and lower reaches, there are areas where I! freshwater lakes are abundant. Among them are Lake Boyan, the largest in the country; lakes Dongtinghu and Taihu, the second and third in size, and not so large lakes Hongze and Chaohu. There is as much lake water in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as nowhere else in the world. Most of the reservoirs are endorheic salt lakes. The largest of them is Qinghai Lake. The lake is rich in a special species of carps, Sutposurt Ppetriki, discovered here for the first time. Countless flocks of birds nest on the lake islands, chirping and flapping their snow-white wings, joyfully and freely soaring like angels in the boundless sky above the lake surface. Paradise for birds!
Basically, the lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were formed as a result of faults in the earth's crust. Due to the excellent filtering properties of limestone, the water in them is transparent and clean. Diachin Pond in the southern suburbs of Kunming looks wonderful and recreates a dreamlike atmosphere. Numerous lakes provide residents with convenient water communication. Water is in itself an important consumer resource. And this is in addition to the fact that it contributes to the irrigation of fields and the production of electricity.
Rivers and lakes adorn the country, they are also a source of disasters. From the legend “Da Yu saves his people from the flood”, it is known how severely the inhabitants of the country suffered, (the descendants of Da K) inherited his determination and ability to withstand floods. It is necessary to tirelessly study and make every effort to preserve both water and land, while deepening the riverbeds to fight against the elements.
But there is something worse than a flood... This is a drought, when all vegetation dies on thousands of square kilometers of scorched lands. In the ancient legend "And shoots at nine suns," the description of nine suns simultaneously blazing in the sky illustrates the drought well. While the waters of the Yangtze overflow their banks and flood the river valley, the Yellow River is getting shallower day by day. It is necessary to redouble efforts to prevent the Yellow River from drying up: let its waters flow tirelessly and provide food forever!
One of the attractions of China is its rivers. If you add up the length of all, then in total you get 220 thousand km.
The water arteries of the country form the internal and external systems. Outer rivers flow into the sea or have access to the ocean. There are few internal rivers, and they are located at a significant distance from each other, flow into lakes or are lost in swamps and deserts. In many parts of China's rivers have become shallow.
Among the abundance of rivers, there are those that are known to the whole world and enjoy special love among tourists - the Huang He, the Yangtze, the Zhujiang.
Huanghe
This is one of the largest rivers in Asia. Translated into Russian, it means "Yellow River". And its water is actually yellow. This color gives it sand. It, in turn, flows into the Yellow Sea. It is believed that it was on the banks of this that the Chinese ethnos began its history and formation. That is why the Yellow River of China is rich in tourism resources, and the whole history of the great Chinese people is reflected on its banks. That is why river tours offered by numerous travel agencies are quite popular. Huang He was included in the list of twelve state tourist routes.
On the banks of the river you can meet peoples who have managed to preserve their original and colorful customs. There are quite a lot of monuments of architecture, antiquity, culture. There is always something to see here. These are statues of warriors and horses in the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, Buddhist relics in Shanxi province, the legendary Shaolin wushu school and much more. Unique landscapes amaze with their beauty.
Yangtze
This river is also called Blue. Arriving in China, you probably expect to see clean and transparent waters. But it's not. In fact, the Yangtze is rather muddy, and it most likely got its name in opposition to the Yellow River. Another common name is "Long River", or Changjiang. But this is the pure truth, because this water artery is one of the longest and full-flowing in Eurasia. Its length is 6 thousand km, and in some places it reaches a width of 2.5 km!
The Blue River of China has many sights and beauties. For example, its shores are formed mainly by mountains covered with green vegetation and steep gorges. The upper Leaping Tiger Gorge is the deepest in the world. The height of the stone walls is 2 thousand meters, and the height of the mountains towering above it reaches 4 thousand meters! Of the man-made "miracles" of the dam and hydroelectric power station, which are the largest in the world.
Zhujiang
The Pearl River of China also got its name not at all because it contains pearls, but because of the island that lies in the middle of the channel. This is a rock that over time was polished by nature almost to a radiant sheen, which is why it began to resemble a pearl. The island is called the Sea Pearl. Zhujiang ranks third in the ranking of "China's longest rivers" with a score of 2129 km.
One of the most favorite entertainments for tourists is a night river cruise in Guangzhou. A magnificent picture opens up to tourists: the bright lights of the city are reflected in the dark jade waters. Everything looks quite romantic!
Lots of rivers. The rivers of China can be large and small, calm and rather turbulent, short and long. In short, they are as different as China itself.
Yangtze
The largest river in China, with a total length of 6300 kilometers, second only to the Amazon and the Nile in this indicator. It originates in the mountains of Geladandong and makes its way through eleven provinces. The landscapes of the river are constantly changing, for which the locals call it the “river of contrasts”.
The Yangtze is navigable for almost its entire length and is the most convenient waterway in the country. In addition, it conditionally divides China into two parts: northern and southern. On the banks of the river are the largest cities of the country: Nanjing; Wuhan; Chongqing; .
Zhujiang
Zhujiang (also called the Pearl River) passes through the territory of eight provinces. Such an unusual name was given to the river by an island located on it. The water polished its shores so carefully that they became surprisingly smooth and in this way resemble the surface of a pearl.
The Pearl River is of particular interest to the guests of the country. It is extraordinarily beautiful at night, when the numerous bridges connecting its banks are illuminated. The banks of the river surprise with a large number of attractions located here.
Huanghe
This is the second largest river in the country (5464 kilometers), taking its source in the Tibetan Plateau. The Yellow River is translated as "Yellow River" because of the special color of its water. In the summer, there is a huge amount of silt in its waters. It is during this period that the river is especially full of water and often overflows its banks.
Liaohe
The Liaohe is a major river in northeastern China. The very first mention of it dates back to 475-221. BC. The river has two sources at once. One is located in the east, the other in the west.
heilongjiang
Heilongjiang runs along the border of the territory and China. And if for the Chinese this river is called Heilongjiang, then for us it is our native Amur. The river bends the territory of China from the east and flows into the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk. The total length of Heilongjiang is 4370 kilometers and it is the eleventh longest river on the planet.
The Heilongjiang riverbed passes through amazingly picturesque places. If you look at it from a bird's eye view, it surprisingly resembles a black dragon. Which, in fact, is reflected in its name.
Hangang
Hangang (or Hanshui River) is one of the powerful tributaries of the Yangtze, with a length of 1532 kilometers. According to historians, it was she who gave the name to the kingdom of Han and one of the royal dynasties - also Han.
China has a large number of rivers; basins of more than one and a half thousand rivers exceed 1000 sq. km. km. The sources of the main rivers are in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, from where their waters rush to the plains. Large elevation differences create favorable conditions for the use of hydropower resources, the reserves of which amount to 680 million kW and occupy the first place in the world.The rivers of China form external and internal systems. The total catchment area of external rivers with access to the sea or ocean covers 64% of the country's territory. These include the Yangtze, Huang He, Heilongjiang, Zhujiang, Liaohe, Haihe, Huaihe and other rivers flowing from west to east and flowing into the seas of the Pacific Ocean; the Yalutsangpo River, originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and flows into the Indian Ocean, in its channel is the world's largest canyon 504.6 km long and a unique depth of 6009 m; The Ertsis (Irtysh) River flows through Xinjiang to the north and flows into the Arctic Ocean. Inland rivers empty into lakes in the hinterland or get lost in salt marshes and deserts. Their catchment area covers 36% of the country's territory. The Tarim in Xinjiang is the longest of China's inland rivers, with a length of 2,179 km.
The largest river in China - the Yangtze, in length - 6300 km - is second only to the Nile in Africa and the Amazon in South America. The upper course of the Yangtze runs through high mountains and deep valleys. It harbors rich water resources. The Yangtze is the country's main and most convenient shipping route, running from west to east. Its fairway is adapted by nature for navigation, it is not for nothing that the Yangtze is called the "golden transport artery" in China. The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze are characterized by a warm and humid climate, abundant rainfall and fertile soil, which creates ideal conditions for the development of agriculture. It is here that the main granary of the country is located. The second largest river in China is the Yellow River, with a total length of 5464 km. The Huang He basin is rich in fertile fields, rich pastures, and the subsoil conceals huge deposits of minerals. The banks of the Yellow River are considered the cradle of the Chinese nation, from here the origins of ancient Chinese culture can be traced. Heilongjiang is a major river in northern China. The total length is 4350 km, of which 3101 km are in China. The Pearl River is the deepest in South China, with a total length of 2214 km. In addition to natural water arteries, China has a well-known man-made Grand Canal connecting the water systems of the Haihe, Huanghe, Huaihe, Yangtze and Qiantangjiang rivers. It was built in the 5th century BC. e., stretches from north to south from Beijing to the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province for 1801 km, this is the oldest and longest artificial canal in the world.
China is rich in lakes. Most of the lakes compared with other areas are on the plain of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Lakes in the plains are usually freshwater. The largest of them - Poyanghu, Dongtinghu, Taihu, Hongzehu, the largest freshwater lake in China - Poyanghu is located in the north of Jiangxi province, its area is 3583 square meters. km. The lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are mostly salty, these are Qinghaihu, Namtso, Selling, etc. The largest salt lake in China is Qinghaihu in the northeast of Qinghai Province, its area is 4583 square meters. km.