It is also the 6th longest river in the world. Historically, these floods have been fatal as millions of people have lost their lives. They have also led to the mass destruction of property worth millions of dollars. The past frequent flooding of the Yellow River was caused by the fact that the river collects lots of loess, yellow sediment, as it flows. The sediment settles on its river bed. However, unlike the normal silt that only forms a thin layer at the bottom of the river, this yellow sediment forms a very thick layer.
Consequently, water levels rise until it breaks the banks causing flooding. Some of the worst incidences involving the Yellow River in the past include , , and floods. It is the world's major river with the most excessive siltation. At that time, the water of the Yellow River was very clear.
But the name was not widely used until the Tang — and Song — dynasties. The Yellow River is yellow because of the great amount of yellow silt suspended in the river. The destruction of forests has turned many grasslands and woodlands into deserts, with the result that the thick loess is exposed. Loess is very loose fine soil, and after long-term erosion by runoff and river water, sediment is carried into the Yellow River, turning its water yellow. It can be said that this is the price of development from a hunter-gatherer civilization to a farming civilization with a growing population.
The Yellow River carries an average of 1. If the sediment were built into a wall one meter wide and one meter high, it would be three times as long as the distance between the Earth and the moon and 27 times as long as the equator. The average flow rate of the Yellow River is 1, cubic meters per second. Its biggest tributary is the Wei River, which flows past Xi'an.
By its banks are mostly lakes, marshes, and grassy meadows, and its water is relatively clear. In the section from Qinghai to Ningxia, the Yellow River flows through steep valleys and cliffs. The river is fast flowing and treacherous. Due to sediment accumulation, the riverbed is several meters above the cities and farmlands around it, forming the world-famous " above ground river "! The Yellow River carries 1.
A great amount of archeological information proves that the Yellow River was the most prosperous region in early Chinese history — BC. The Yellow River is not just an iconic river of China, but also the symbol of the Chinese spirit : bearing burdens its sedimentation , adaptation its course changes , and perseverance its continual flow.
For thousands of years, the Yellow River has been admired by great poets, artists, and common people. The Yellow River is also called "China's Sorrow". Each year, over 1. Before damming, it was extremely prone to flooding, and caused millions of deaths , including the deadliest disaster in human history.
Along the Yellow River, there are numerous historical and ancient attractions and stunning scenery. See 5-Day Northern Sichuan Tour. Learn more about the history and rich culture of Ancient China with this curated resource collection. A river is a large, natural stream of flowing water.
Rivers are found on every continent and on nearly every kind of land. A floodplain is a generally flat area of land next to a river or stream. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Photograph by View Stock. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.
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