Huai River
| Huai River Huai He | |
|---|---|
Huai River in the city of Bengbu, Anhui. | |
Map of the Huai River and its major tributaries. | |
| Native name | 淮河 |
| Location | |
| Country | China |
| Provinces | Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu |
| Cities | Xinyang, Fuyang, Lu'an, Huainan, Bengbu, Tianchang, Huai'an, Yangzhou |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Tongbai Mountain |
| • location | Nanyang, Henan |
| • coordinates | 32°22′52″N 113°16′35″E / 32.3810°N 113.2763°E |
| • elevation | 1,029 m (3,376 ft) |
| Mouth | Yangtze |
• location | Yangzhou, Jiangsu |
• coordinates | 32°18′28″N 119°42′13″E / 32.3078°N 119.7035°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 1,110 km (690 mi) |
| Basin size | 174,000 km2 (67,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 1,616 m3/s (57,100 cu ft/s) Note, this is the main discharge into the Yangtze, 82.0% of the total water flow of all Huai waters. |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Yangtze → East China Sea |
The Huai River, formerly romanized as the Hwai, is a major river in East China, about 1,110 km (690 mi) long with a drainage area of 174,000 km2 (67,000 sq mi). It is located about midway between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two longest rivers and largest drainage basins in China. Historically draining eastwards directly into the Yellow Sea, erosion from floods have changed the course of the river such that it now primarily discharges into the Yangtze. The Huai River is, to this day, notoriously vulnerable to flooding.
The Qinling–Huaihe Line, formed by the Huai River and the Qin Mountains, is sometimes regarded as the geographical dividing line between northern and southern China. This line approximates the 0 °C (32 °F) January isotherm and the 800 millimeters (30 in) isohyet in China.