Yangtze River (in Chinese "Long River") - the most abounding in water flow and the length of the continent of Eurasia.Proceeds of it in China.Its length - 6,3 thousand kilometers.Yangtze River basin is about 2 million square kilometers, it covers one-fifth of China, which is home to about a third of the total population.The average water flow of 31,900 m3 / s.Thus, the river takes the 3rd place in the world in length and wet (after the Amazon and Congo).Together with the second largest river in China, the Yellow River, the Yangtze is the base, both in history and in the modern Chinese economy.The source of the river is located in the mountain massif of Tibet - west of Mount Geladandun.A Yangtze flows into the East Sea of Korea.
Living Yangtze River
Official description of the Yangtze River reported that the yellow color of its waters due to the large amount of impurities.STOCK solids per year over 280 million tons.For this reason, the delta progressively expands by approximately 1 kilometer every 40 years.The tides of the East Korean Sea enter the waterway 700 kilometers.Mode of the Yangtze River - the monsoon.In the old days on the plains in the summer the water rising up to 15 meters, and in the Sichuan basin could exceed the normal level of 20 meters.Dongting Lake and Poyang take a water, but it does not solve the problem completely.The most severe flooding: two in the XIX century (1870 and 1898) and four in the XX (1931, 1949, 1954, 1998).To protect against the ravages of flooding after a system of dams, which extends for more than 2.7 thousand kilometers.On the Yangtze built two dams - Gezhouba and the "Three Gorges", only the third under construction, in addition, three more are in the pipeline project.
Yangtze Power
type power of the Yangtze River - mixed.The main object receives water from the monsoon rains.Extra power of the Yangtze River - a product of the melting of mountain glaciers.As it falls more than 700 tributaries.The largest of them: Yalong River (1187 km), Minjiang (735 km), Jialing (1119 km), Tuo (876 kilometers) and Han (1532 km).The source is located at an altitude of 5.6 kilometers above sea level in the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau.River flows through Qinghai and turns to the south, where serves as a natural border between Tibet and Sichuan.Next, it flows along the Sino-Tibetan mountains, where the main discharge (water sinks to 4 kilometers).And then runs at an altitude of thousands of meters above sea level.Yangtze River in these places many times changing direction and over the millennia has formed deep canyons.
Geography River
At the entrance of the Sichuan basin of the Yangtze River flows at an altitude of 300 meters above sea level.Here, from the city of Yibin starts shipping.The fall in the river basin of two great tributaries: the Jialing and Minjiang.Yangtze River becomes wider and affluent.Next to Yichang, the river goes down to 40 meters above sea level.She is still making its way through deep gorges, difficult to navigate, but extremely beautiful.Flowing between the provinces of Hubei and Chongqing, the water flow is its natural border.In this section we built the world's largest hydraulic structure "Three Gorges".Emerging Tszyanhaanskuyu on the plain, the river is replenished with water from numerous lakes.In the center of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province runs its largest tributary - the Han.In the north of Jiangsu she takes the fresh water of Poyang Lake.Then it passes Anhui province and empties into the East Sea of Korea, near Shanghai.Here the river has formed a giant delta - about 80 thousand square kilometers.
economic importance
Yangtze River is considered one of the busiest waterways in the world.Its shipping segment is 2850 kilometers.The annual volume of traffic varies between 800 million tons.The total length of the routes in the basin exceeds 17 thousand kilometers.Yangtze Water used for drinking, for the supply of settlements and industrial plants, for irrigation and electric power generation.Delta region is the most prosperous and produces up to 20% of GDP.Agricultural enterprises, which are located along the river Yangtze, producing more than 50% of crop products.Also here are the largest industrial centers.Yangtze basin is the most densely populated in the world.The river feeds its water more than 200 million people.
Ecology
Yangtze River suffers from industrial pollution.It dumped every year to 30 billion tons of waste, which contain hundreds of harmful and toxic products.Government measures do not bring tangible effect.River for several years is in an extremely dangerous state.The Yangtze shed more than 3 hundred different substances, and each year this figure is steadily increasing.On the banks are more than 400 thousand industrial enterprises, of which 7 - scale refineries, 5 - the largest metallurgical complexes and petrochemical base.On the river built many treatment facilities, but due to lack of funding function normally only 30%.Recent data from studies of water in the Yangtze River reported that it contains a lot of heavy metals.The figure is a hundred times higher than normal.
Flora and Fauna
Yangtze River passes through many different ecosystems, which are home to a variety of plants and animals.And the river itself is inhabited.It preserved endangered species and those that can live only in this habitat: the Chinese sturgeon, river dolphins and alligators.Here is a huge world-famous park "Three Parallel Rivers", which is included in the list of UNESCO.As a result of human activities in the area of the river are threatened with extinction plants such as the giant sequoia, ginkgo balboa, rare species of yew.Chinese sturgeon and dolphin smothered in the muddy waters of the river and on the banks is becoming increasingly rare golden monkey and a big panda.The area covered by forest once, 22% became deserted.
Attractions
Yangtze interesting in many aspects.On its shores many years ago was born the Chinese civilization.Until now, the river can be seen waterworks, built by more than two thousand years ago.Travel Yangtze begins with Sichuan - the birthplace of the great rivers of 2, 2 of the great Chinese poets and two great generals.Here you can enjoy classic Chinese cuisine (think so across the country).In the early 70's in these places, archaeologists found traces of an ancient civilization, not unlike anything previously known.For example, the golden mask weighing 200 kilograms each, bronze figurines of animals and birds, as well as stone "wheel of life".And this is only the beginning of the trip.But there is still a lot of kilometers and a lot of interesting and entertaining places.
