THREE GORGES DAM

Particulars

Description

Location

On the Yangtze River in China’s Hubei Province.

Hydroelectric Status

World’s largest hydroelectric power station.

Construction Timeline

Completed in 2012 after nearly two decades of construction.

Dimensions

2,335 metres (7,660 feet) long and 185 metres (607 feet) high.

Reservoir Capacity

40 cubic kilometres (about 10 trillion gallons) of water.

Electricity Production Capacity

Up to 22,500 megawatts of electricity.

Water Flow Source

Qutangxia, Wuxia, and Xilingxia gorges.

Additional Benefits

 Increases the Yangtze River’s shipping capacity.
Reduces potential for floods downstream by providing flood storage space.

Particulars

Descriptions

Length

Longest river in China and Asia; third longest in the world, at 3,915 miles (6,300 km).

Unique Feature

Longest river to exclusively flow within the borders of a single nation.

Drainage Basin

Area of 698,265 square miles (1,808,500 sq. km).

Course

From the Plateau of Tibet to the East China Sea, traverses or serves as the border between 10 provinces or regions.

Geographical Character

More than three-fourths of the river’s course runs through mountains.

Tributaries (Left Bank)

Yalung, Min, Jialing, and Han rivers.

Tributaries (Right Bank)

Wu, Yuan, Xiang, and Gan rivers.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following countries:

1. China
2. Vietnam
3. Laos

Yangtze River flows through how many of the above countries?

A. Only one

B. Only two

C. All three

D. None

Answer: A

Explanation:

The Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang  is the longest river in Asia, and the third longest in the world. It flows for 6,418 kilometres (3,988 mi) from the glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai.