The Yellow River (Huang He) is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world, stretching for approximately 5464 kilometers (3395 miles). The Yellow River originates in the Bayan Har Mountains of Qinghai province and flows through nine provinces and autonomous regions before emptying into the Bohai Sea in Shandong province. The total length of the Yellow River's main stream is approximately 5464 kilometers, with a drainage basin covering an area of approximately 752,000 square kilometers (290,000 square miles).
The average annual discharge of the Yellow River is approximately 47 billion cubic meters, with the maximum discharge occurring during the flood season in summer and the minimum discharge occurring during the dry season in winter. The Yellow River's water is heavily silted, with an average sediment concentration of approximately 35 kilograms per cubic meter, making it one of the muddiest rivers in the world. The sediment carried by the Yellow River has formed the vast alluvial North China Plain, which is one of the most densely populated regions in China.
