Asia conquers with its nature, ancient culture and rich history, many unusual traditions, gourmet cuisine and hospitable people. It is interesting to study it even for those who are not fond of travel. Rivers are at the center of the life of any nation, so it is with them that you should start your acquaintance with the region. The great rivers of Asia not only determine the geographical features of the region, but also influence the culture and traditions of the local people. Which of them are the most famous and significant?
Yangtze
Listing the major rivers of Asia, you should definitely start with this one. The Yangtze stretches for 6,300 kilometers. The source of the legendary river is located in the Tibetan Plateau. From a height of 5000 meters above sea level, the Yangtze descends through the Sino-Tibetan Mountains in a narrow gorge. In such areas, the river has a very severe character. Further, the basin is located in the Sichuan Basin, and in the lower reaches of the Yangtze it runs along the Jianghan Plain and the southern part of the Great Plain of China. After that, it breaks up into several branches and flows into the sea. The basin is fed by monsoon rains, and in the mountainous region, the waters are supplemented by melting snow and glaciers. The major tributaries of the Yangtze include such Asian rivers as the Yalongjiang, Hanshui, Jialingjiang,Minjiang. Numerous fish live in the waters, which allows the inhabitants of the shores to actively fish for carp, grass carp and silver carp. In the cold season, the upper parts of the Yangtze are covered with ice, but not for long and only where the current is extremely calm.
Huanghe
Not all rivers in East Asia are as famous as this one. No wonder: the length of the Yellow River is almost 5,000 kilometers. It descends from the plateau of Tibet to the desert valleys in the south. The Yellow River Basin covers 700,000 square kilometers. The valley where the river flows is called Sin-su-hai by the Chinese. Here the Yellow River is enriched with water, and it flows into the Tsarin-nor Lake, already having a width of more than fifteen meters. The chain of reservoirs on the way of the river is a natural reservoir of fresh water, which are located 4000 meters above sea level. From the lake Norin-nor Huanghe flows with a width of eighty meters and flows through a wide valley, and then along the gorge of the Amne-Machin ridge. Having rounded it, the river heads east, towards the city of Gui-duyu. Six hundred and fifty kilometers it flows along the Great Wall, and then flows into the Zhili Bay. Food is provided by rain and melting snow. The tributaries are such Asian rivers as the Wudinghe, Weihe and Fynhe. Chinese crab lives in the waters. The river moves at such a speed that it practically does not get covered with ice, only for a couple of weeks in the middle or lower reaches during the coldest months of the year.
Ob and Irtysh
These rivers of Asia flow through the eastern part of Russia. The length of the obi is 3650kilometers, and from the source of the Irtysh is more than 5400. The basin is located in the Tomsk and Tyumen regions, the Altai Territory and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. The Ob flows into the Kara Sea. Many different types of fish can be caught in the waters: sterlet, sturgeon, herring, burbot, maksun live here. For fishing, nets, nets and prisons are used. In addition, ducks, swans and geese are hunted along the banks. The river is covered with ice already in October - in the upper and middle sections of the course, and a little later - in the lower ones. The ice cover is melting by May.
Mekong
The length of the river is 4500 kilometers. It originates in Tibet, flows through the Chinese province of Yunnan, and then through the territory of Vietnam and Cambodia, moving to the South China Sea. Like other rivers in Asia, the Mekong has an impressive basin with an area of 810 square kilometers. A distinctive feature is the frequent spills that occur during the melting of snow in Tibet, and during heavy summer rains. The Mekong has three branches with many tributaries. One of them, Udong, forms Tale Sap Lake, famous for its large number of fish. The river is fed mainly by rain, but the upper course is also replenished by snow and glacier. Notable tributaries are such Asian rivers as Mun, Wu, Tonle Sap, Than and San. Residents of coastal areas are engaged in fishing for cyprinids and waterfowl.
Cupid
Thinking about this region, many people remember that the largest river in Asia is the Yangtze. come to mindalso the Huang He or Mekong mentioned above. But many do not think about Russian rivers like the Amur. Nevertheless, its basin is located precisely in the Asian part of the continent. In addition, the Amur flows into the Sea of Japan and is one of the longest rivers in the region. Its basin occupies about two million square kilometers, and its length is more than three thousand. It is interesting that in different parts the river has different names: in the upper reaches it is the Onon, then, at the confluence with the Ingoda, it is the Shilka, and only after joining the Argun it receives the name Amur. The food comes from the rains, there is little snow in these parts, so there are no spring floods. An increase in water occurs only during the rainy seasons. The largest happened in 1872, when the water was sixteen meters above the usual level. But this feature also has an advantage: the river is suitable for navigation, which goes along the entire populated part of the banks of the Amur.
Ind
Many of the great rivers of Asia were once the cradles of civilizations. The Indus is no exception and has been known in history since ancient times. Its length is 3180 kilometers. In the upper part, it feeds on melting glaciers, and in the middle and lower parts, it feeds on precipitation and snow. The tributaries include numerous small rivers in Asia. The list includes the lesser known Zanskar, Shaysk, Shigar, Gilgit, and the more famous Kabul. A variety of fish live in the waters of the Indus - minnows, cupids, silver carps. It never freezes. The river originates in Tibet, from where it heads northwest, flows through the valley near the Himalayan mountains, connects withseveral tributaries in their gorges, acquires a width of several hundred meters and flows into the Arabian Sea. The greatness of the river is provided by multiple mouths, the exact number of which is unknown, since it changes during each flood. Interestingly, even the position of the main channel has changed, and during the last century.
Euphrates
Listing the rivers of Asia, the list of which includes world-famous names, we must not forget about the Euphrates. Together with the Tiger, he created a territory where civilization had already developed long before our era. The Euphrates basin is vast, densely populated now and is 765 thousand square kilometers. The source of the river is located on the Armenian Highlands, which affects the nature of the flow. Below the waves are much calmer. The average depth is about ten meters, and the width varies from 150 to 500 meters. Merging with the Tigris, the Euphrates forms the Shattel River, which flows into the Persian Gulf. The food is snow and rain. The tributaries are Tokhma, Geksu, Belikh and Khabur. The waters never freeze, even in the coldest season.
