Where is the Yangtze river?
The Yangtze River is the third-longest river in the world (the longest is the Nile and the second-longest is the Amazon).
The Yangtze River is the longest river in China and Asia and is about 3,900 miles (6,300 km) long. The Chinese call the river 'Chang Jiang' which means long river.
Who lives near the Yangtze River?
The Yangtze River is home to some amazing animals. Some of these are endangered (at risk of dying) like the Chinese alligator, the finless porpoise, the Chinese paddlefish and the giant softshell turtle.
Most dolphins live in the ocean but the Yangtze River dolphin was a rare freshwater dolphin that used to live in the river. Scientists think they are now extinct (completely died out) and that river pollution is one of the causes.
The river is also important for people. For thousands of years, it has been used to transport goods across the country. Ships are continuously crossing over its waters.
Many cities were built by the side of the river and today people still grow crops close by. Rice is the main crop, but wheat, barley, cotton, beans and maize are also grown.
Did you know?
- Bridges over the Yangtze River are some of the longest and tallest bridges in the world.
