The Huang River Valley

1. The Huang River Valley

2. Huang River • The Huang River is the 6th longest river in the world. It is 3,395 miles long. • This river is the 2nd longest river in China and passes through many Chinese cities.

3. Huang River • As the Huang River flows from Tibet downward it picks up silt along the way. • During the summer floods it spreads enough silt on the North China Plain to create one of the world’s largest deltas.

4. Huang River • The Huang River is also known as the Yellow River. • It is called the Yellow River because as it flows it picks up loess which dusty yellow soil. This yellow soil can turn the color of the water yellow. • The Huang River is the world’s muddiest river.

5. Farming • About 4000 B.C. farming communities developed along the banks of the Huang River. • China’s oldest civilization grew from these farming communities.

6. Loess • Loess is a blessing for farmers because it is a very fine rock free soil that is good for planting. • However because Loess is so light, it can easily get washed or blown away in storms leaving farmers with poor soil.

7. Floods • The Huang River is very prone to flooding. • About 3,000 years ago, farmers began to build earth levees to hold back the Huang. • A levee is a wall built along the river bank to prevent flooding.

8. Floods • Overtime however, the Huang River built up silt causing mud deposits. • As the mud deposits grew the river spilled over the farmer’s levees.

9. Canals • Farmers along the Huang River also used canals to bring water from the river to their fields. • Loess would often clog these canals making them ineffective until the farmers cleared them out.

10. Farming • Many crops grew successfully in the loess soil. • Huang River farmers grew rice, millet (a type of grain), wheat, green onions, and ginger. • They also harvested grapes, peaches, plums and chestnuts.

11. Rise in Population • As the crops grew more successful, the Huang River Valley’s population grew. • More and more farmers were moving into this fertile area. • More farm land had to be created in order to accommodate the growing population.

12. Rise in Population Continued • Farmers cleared trees to take advantage of the rich loess soil. • This resulted in erosion which is the wearing away of soil by wind or water. • The soil was carried away in the Huang’s many floods and storms. • Without the fertile loess soil it was difficult for farmers to grow crops.

13. Famine • If too much of the soil washed away there would not be enough food for everyone. • This would result in a famine. • A famine is a time when very little food is available to eat, and people starve.

14. Other Regions of China • Not all areas of China are suitable for farming. • An area to the north of the Huang River Valley contains steppes. • A steppe is a dry, windswept, treeless plain. • In this area no crops were grown, instead farmers herded sheep and cattle.