Han River (Hubei and Shaanxi)

Han River
Han River
Traditional Chinese	漢江
Simplified Chinese	汉江
Literal meaning	Han River
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Hànjiāng
Wade–Giles	Han Chiang
Traditional Chinese	漢水
Simplified Chinese	汉水
Literal meaning	Han River (not "Han water")
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Hànshuǐ
Wade–Giles	Han-shui

Han River
Han Jiang / Hanshui
Han River; Han Jiang / Hanshui
	The Han River in Wuhan
	Map highlighting watershed of the Han Jiang
Native name	汉江
Location
Country	China
Region	Shaanxi, Hubei
Cities	Hanzhong, Ankang, Shiyan, Xiangyang, Xiantao, Wuhan
Physical characteristics
Source	Near Hanzhong
• location	Qin Mountains, Shaanxi
• coordinates	33°08′32″N 106°49′42″E / 33.14222°N 106.82833°E
• elevation	580 m (1,900 ft)
Mouth	Yangtze River
• location	Wuhan, Hubei
• coordinates	30°33′52″N 114°17′30″E / 30.56444°N 114.29167°E
• elevation	75 m (246 ft)
Length	1,532 km (952 mi), Northwest-southeast
Basin size	174,300 km2 (67,300 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	1,632 m3/s (57,600 cu ft/s)
• maximum	33,500 m3/s (1,180,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River system	Yangtze River basin
Tributaries
• left	Xun, Dan, Bai River (China), Fushui River
• right	Du, Chi, Nan, Muma

The Han River, also known by its Chinese names Hanshui (Chinese: 汉水) and Han Jiang (汉江), is a major river in Central China. A left tributary of the Yangtze, the longest river in Asia, it has a length of 1,532 km (952 mi) and is the longest tributary of the Yangtze system.

The river gave its name to the ancient Chinese Han dynasty, which marked one of ancient China's first golden ages and through it, to the Han Chinese, the dominant ethnic group in modern China and the most populous ethnic group in the world.^[1] It is also the namesake of the city of Hanzhong on its upper course.

^ Liu, Xingwu (2004). "Han". In Ember, Carol R.; Ember, Melvin (eds.). Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology. Springer US. pp. 703–17. doi:10.1007/0-387-29905-X_73. ISBN 978-0-306-47754-6. The name 'Han' was derived from the Han River, an upper tributary of the Yangtze River. It was further strengthened by the famous Han Empire (206 BC–220 AD) which lasted for several hundred years when the people began active interactions with the outside world.

[:0-1] Liu, Xingwu (2004). "Han". In Ember, Carol R.; Ember, Melvin (eds.). Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology. Springer US. pp. 703–17. doi:10.1007/0-387-29905-X_73. ISBN 978-0-306-47754-6. The name 'Han' was derived from the Han River, an upper tributary of the Yangtze River. It was further strengthened by the famous Han Empire (206 BC–220 AD) which lasted for several hundred years when the people began active interactions with the outside world.

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