Yangtze River
Geography

Facts about Yangtze River

We found 18 facts about Yangtze River

Third longest river on Earth

A cradle for Chinese civilization, the Yangtze River basin is the wealthiest region of China. It is also the most breathtaking scenic area in China, visited annually by over 2 billion tourists. Rich in aquatic life, it gave birth to southern Chinese cultures.

Yangtze River
1
The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia.
It is 6,397 kilometers long.
2
It is the third longest river on Earth.
It comes after the Amazon River and the Nile.
3
The Yangtze River basin covers 1/5 of the land area of China.
4
Human activity in the Yangtze River basin dates back to 27,000 years ago.
5
It flows through Tibet and 10 Chinese provinces.
They are Qinghai, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hubei, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hunan, and Shanghai.
6
The Yangtze River originates from Geladandong Peak of the Tanggula Mountains in Tibet and flows into the East China Sea.
7
It is considered the busiest river in the world.
Water transportation is very popular among both citizens and tourists. It also allows for ocean vessels to travel for around 1,600 kilometers up the river.
8
The Yangtze has over 700 tributaries, eight of which are principal.
They are the Yalung River, Min River, Jialing River, Han River, Wu River, Yuan River, Xiang River, and Gan River.
9
The Yangtze River basin accounts for over 40% of freshwater resources in China.
10
It is regarded as the natural boundary of North and South China.
The climate differs significantly in those parts, with the northern being drier and cooler, and the southern being warm and humid.
11
The Yangtze River basin is the main grain-producing region in China.
The granary, with the production of over 70% of rice, covers half of the whole nation.
12
The first bridge constructed on the Yangtze River was the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge.
It was completed in 1957 and stretches 1,670 meters.
13
The longest arch bridge in the world, located on the Yangtze, is the Chaotianmen Bridge.
It is 552 meters long.
14
There are four major cities along the Yangtze River–Shanghai, Wuhan, Nanjing, and Chongqing.
Shanghai is one of the most popular tourist destinations, the largest city in China, and used to be one of the largest ports worldwide, which greatly contributed to the development of the Yangtze River.
15
The Yangtze River supports over 360 species of fish, of which over 100 are endemic.
16
The high water pollution caused several species found in the Yangtze River basin to be listed as endangered.
One of the most endangered crocodilian species–the Chinese Alligator, also referred to as the Yangtze alligator–is endemic to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

As of July 2022, the Chinese paddlefish, also referred to as the Chinese swordfish–an endemic species in the genus Psephurus–is declared extinct.
17
The Three Gorges Dam–the largest hydropower station in the world–is located on the Yangtze.
It generates over 100 TWh of electricity a year.
18
The deepest gorge in the world–the Tiger Leaping Gorge–is located in the Upper Yangtze.
It has a maximum depth of approximately 3,800 meters from the river to the mountain peak. As a part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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