The Yangtze (translated from Chinese as “long river”) is the most abundant and longest water flow of the Eurasian continent. It flows through the territories of China. Its length is 6.3 thousand kilometers. The Yangtze River basin is about 2 million square kilometers, it covers a fifth of China, which is home to about a third of the country's population. The average water consumption is 31.9 thousand m3/s. Thus, the river occupies the 3rd place in the world in terms of length and high water content (after the Amazon and the Congo). Together with the second largest river in the Celestial Empire, the Yellow River, the Yangtze is the base, both in the history and in the modern economy of China. The source of the river is located in the mountain range of Tibet - to the west of Mount Geladandun. And the Yangtze flows into the East Korea Sea.
Life on the Yangtze River
The official description of the Yangtze River reports that the yellow color of its waters is due to a large amount of impurities. The runoff of solids per year exceeds 280 million tons. For this reason, the delta is growing progressively, by about 1 kilometer every 40 years. The tides of the East Korean Sea enter the waterway for 700 kilometers. The regime of the Yangtze River is monsoonal. In the old days on the plains in the summer the waterrose to 15 meters, and in the Sichuan Basin it could exceed the normal level by 20 meters. Dongting and Poyang lakes take in water, but this does not completely solve the problems. The most severe floods: two in the 19th century (1870 and 1898) and four in the 20th (1931, 1949, 1954, 1998). To protect against devastation after the flood, a system of dams was created, which extends for more than 2.7 thousand kilometers. Two dams have been built on the Yangtze - Gezhouba and Three Gorges, the third is under construction, in addition, three more are under construction.
Yangtze food
The type of nutrition of the Yangtze River is mixed. The object receives the main water from monsoon rains. Additional nutrition of the Yangtze River is a product of the melting of mountain glaciers. More than 700 tributaries flow into it. The largest of them are: Yalongjiang (1187 km), Minjiang (735 km), Jialingjiang (1119 km), Tuo (876 km) and Hanshui (1532 km). The source is located at an altitude of 5.6 kilometers above sea level in the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau. The river flows through the province of Qinghai and turns south, where it serves as a natural border between Tibet and Sichuan. Then it flows through the Sino-Tibetan Mountains, where the main discharge occurs (water drops by 4 kilometers). And then it flows at a height of thousands of meters above sea level. The Yangtze River changes direction many times in these places and has formed deep gorges over the millennia.
Geography of the river
At the entrance to the Sichuan Basin, the Yangtze River flows at an altitude of 300 meters above sea level. Here from Yibin cityshipping begins. In the basin, two large tributaries flow into the river: Jialingjiang and Minjiang. The Yangtze is getting wider and fuller. Further, to Ichan, the river drops to 40 meters above sea level. It still carves its way through deep gorges, difficult to navigate but extraordinarily beautiful. Flowing between the provinces of Hubei and Chongqing, the water stream serves as their natural border. The largest hydraulic structure in the world, the Sanxia, was erected on this stretch. Flowing out to the Jianghaan Plain, the river is replenished with water from numerous lakes. In the center of Hubei province, its largest tributary, the Hanshui, flows into the Yangtze. In the north of Jiangsu, it takes fresh water from Poyang Lake. Then it passes the province of Anhui and flows into the East Korea Sea, near Shanghai. Here the river has formed a giant delta - about 80 thousand square kilometers.
Economic value
The Yangtze River is considered one of the busiest waterways in the world. Its shipping distance is 2850 kilometers. The volume of annual transportation varies within 800 million tons. The total length of routes in the river basin exceeds 17 thousand kilometers. Yangtze water is used for drinking purposes, for supplying settlements and industrial enterprises, for irrigating fields and generating electricity. The delta region is the most prosperous and produces up to 20% of the country's GDP. Agricultural enterprises along the Yangtze produce more than 50% of crop products. Also located here are the largestindustrial centers. The Yangtze basin is the most populated in the world. The river feeds more than 200 million people with its water.
Ecology
The Yangtze River suffers from industrial pollution. Every year, up to 30 billion tons of waste are dumped into it, which contain hundreds of harmful and toxic products. The measures taken by the government do not bring a tangible effect. The river has been in an extremely dangerous state for several years. More than 300 different substances are dumped into the Yangtze, and every year this figure is steadily increasing. More than 400 thousand industrial enterprises are located on the shores, of which 7 are large-scale oil refineries, 5 are the largest metallurgical complexes and petrochemical bases. Many treatment facilities have been built on the river, but due to insufficient funding, only 30% function normally. The latest data from studies of water in the Yangtze report that it contains many heavy metals. The figure is a hundred times higher than the norm.
Vegetation and wildlife
The Yangtze passes through many different ecosystems, which are home to a variety of plants and animals. And the river itself is inhabited. It has preserved endangered species of animals and those that can only live in this area: Chinese sturgeons, alligators and river dolphins. There is also a huge world-famous park "Three Parallel Rivers", which is included in the UNESCO list. As a result of human activity in the area of the river underplants such as the giant sequoia, gingko balboa, and the rarest varieties of yew are endangered. Chinese sturgeon and dolphin suffocate in the murky waters of the river, and the golden monkey and giant panda are less and less common along the banks. The area once covered by forest has become deserted by 22%.
Attractions
The Yangtze is interesting in many ways. On its shores many thousands of years ago, the Chinese civilization was born. Until now, on the river you can see hydraulic structures built more than two thousand years ago. Journey along the Yangtze begins from Sichuan - the birthplace of 2 great rivers, 2 great Chinese poets and 2 great commanders. Here you can taste dishes of classic Chinese cuisine (as they say throughout the country). In the early 70s, archaeologists discovered traces of an ancient civilization in these places, unlike anything previously known. For example, golden masks weighing 200 kilograms each, bronze figurines of animals and birds, as well as a stone "wheel of life". And this is just the beginning of the journey. And there are still many kilometers to go and many interesting and entertaining places.
