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we Chinese call the Yangtze River, Chang-jiang, which means "Long River". The Yangtze River begins in the Tibetan Plateau and is fed by snow and ice melt from the surrounding mountains. The Yangtze empties out into the South China Sea near the city of Shanghai.
The Yangtze River is the largest river in China and the third largest in the world. It is about 3,900 miles long. Its width can range from eight to more than 1000 meters when the water rises. The Nile and Amazon Rivers are larger than the Yangtze, but the Yangtze is special because it has so many people living near it.
About 350 million people live near the Yangtze River and its 700 tributaries. The lives of the people living near the Yangtze are affected in some way everyday by the river. Dangerous floods kill people and livestock living near the river.
The watershed area of the Yangtze River is about 700,000 square miles, approximately 20% of China's total land area, and 25% of its total farming land area. Almost all of the boating traffic in China is on the Yangtze River.
The Yangtze River winds through the most beautiful and exciting land forms in the world. Once it reaches the edge of the Tibetan plateau, the river plunges off the "roof of the world," through huge gorges. The Three Gorges are famous for their steepness, beautiful wonders and tourist sites. The walls of the gorges are steep and can reach as high as 3000 feet.