The Yellow Sea in China. Yellow Sea on the map

The Chinese call the Yellow Sea of Huanghai. It refers to the basin of the world's largest ocean - Pacific. This sea, which has such a strange name, is located on the eastern shores of the Eurasian continent, it ishes the western coast of the Korean peninsula.

Location on the world map

So, the Yellow Sea is located in the northeastern hemisphere off the coast of the continent of Eurasia. From the south it borders on the East China Sea. Only from this side the sea is not limited to land. On the other sides it washed the shores of three peninsulas: Korean, Liaotung and Shandong, ie, the coasts of three countries: China and two Koreas. More precisely, how and where the Yellow Sea is located on the world map can be seen in the photo below.

general characteristics

The water area of this sea covers an area of about 416 thousand square kilometers. The average water volume is approximately 17,000 cubic kilometers, and the average depth is 40 meters. In the deepest places it reaches 105 m. The bottom of the sea is covered with sand and silt. The coastline is uneven. Due to the tortuosity, it forms many large and small bays. On the Chinese side, the coasts are mostly flat, and the coast of Korea consists entirely of rocks. Near the coast in the waters of the sea are small islands. Some of them are popular resorts.

Why is the Sea Yellow?

So why this natural reservoir was named in this way? Its waters have a strange greenish-yellow color. The reason for this is the deposits carried by the Chinese rivers (Yellow River, Haihe, Lianhe, Liaohe, Yaluzian) flowing into the Yellow Sea. China is rich in water resources, and there are a lot of such rivers. Some of them have not just water yellow, but ohristy shade. However, merging with the water of the sea, they acquire a golden green color, especially in sunny weather. One of the largest is the Yellow River, a river that gave the name to the Yellow Sea. Another cause of yellowness are spring strong dust storms, which subsequently settle on water and paint it in a non-typical for the sea shade.

A bit about the Yellow River

The yellow river is one of the largest waterways on the planet. This name she received due to the huge number of suspended particles, which give the water a yellowish-buffy tinge. The Yellow River originates in the Tibetan Plateau, at an altitude of 4,500 meters. Its channel is meandering, it constantly winds in its path, continually changing its direction. At the end of its journey, the Yellow River flows into the sea.

Climate

The coast of Huanghai is characterized by a fairly cold winter, when the water temperature drops to zero, and hot summer (water temperature - up to 27-28 degrees). This is facilitated by the fact that the Yellow Sea on the map is located in the temperate zone. Flood ice can form on the pond in winter. And in the summer, despite the warmth of air and water, the sea is not called tender and pleasant for a long holiday. From time to time there are dust storms, heavy rains and a typhoon.

Movement of water and currents

The temperature of sea waters, as well as their movement, is influenced by the warm current from the East China Sea and the cold flow from the north-west. Therefore, the water temperature can change constantly. The flow on the surface is directed counter-clockwise and forms a cycle. Depending on the coast, the magnitude of the tides changes, and if in the west they do not exceed a level of 1 meter, then in the southeast, especially in narrow bays, they can reach up to 9 meters.

Flora

By its flora the Yellow Sea is similar to the Japanese. In the waters and on the coast you can see thickets of red and brown algae, as well as kelp. Coastal vegetation is widely used for industrial purposes.

Fauna

From the above, it follows that the plant world of the Huanghai Sea is rather meager, which can not be said of the animal world, that is, of the marine fauna. It is much richer and more diverse and has a huge number of species of marine animals and microorganisms.

Inhabitants of the seabed

We will start the survey of the fauna from the seabed itself, which is covered with mud in places, and in other parts - with sand. Here live the following living organisms:

• Crustaceans: oysters, crabs, crawfish, cuttlefish, etc .;
• Echinoderms (sea stars, hedgehogs, snake-tailed turtles);
• Sea snakes;
• Sea worms;
• Mollusks: bivalves (mussels), cephalopods (squids) and others;
• Bottom fish (bull-calves, flat flounder, etc.).

By the way, oysters, as well as squids and mussels have great commercial and industrial importance. They are even grown in specialized coastal farms, because China holds the world's leading position for the production of shellfish, in particular oysters. I can not believe that 80 percent of the world's oyster production belongs to China. However, unlike Europeans, the Chinese use oysters not in raw form. They use these mollusks to make oyster sauce popular in the Middle Kingdom . Squids that live in the Yellow Sea are also important for food production. These are giant clams, reaching at a rate of 80 centimeters.

In addition to bottom fish, many other "peaceful" and predatory fish inhabit the waters of this reservoir: herring, cod, saury and pollock. The greatest demand is for pike-eared eel. Its length can reach 2 meters. This predatory fish likes to hunt for small fishes that inhabit the bottom, as well as squid and other bottom living creatures. The eel meat is very fat and tender, so it is in great demand in the eastern cuisine.

Other inhabitants of the sea

Here in the depths of the sea also live coral jellyfish, as well as aurelias. They are also used for food, while they are very much in demand for the preparation of some Chinese, Japanese, Korean national dishes. Probably, few know that the seafood, which is today called "crystal meat" - is a recycled jellyfish carcass. This is a real delicacy, which can only be found in the kitchens of the countries of the Pacific basin.

The rulers of the sea depths

The Yellow Sea is just teeming with sharks. Here you can find many kinds of sharks:

• Cat's;
• Prickly;
• Japanese;
• The larger one;
• Bearded;
• Cuña;
• Fox;
• Collar;
• Hammerhead;
• Mako;
• Gray;
• White, etc.

Despite such a variety, the information that a shark attacked a person is very rare here. It turns out that the stories of the bloodthirstiness of these large fish are either a myth, or on this sea tourists are a rarity. In any case, this proves that sharks are perfectly capable of peacefully living in their favorite aquatic environment.

Yellow Sea Resorts

Perhaps because of the constant dust storms and typhoons, this sea is not very attractive for tourists from all over the world. Nor did the Russians love it, although in reality it is possible to spend a very interesting vacation here. The only thing that can lead our citizens to the shores of the Yellow Sea is relatively cheap, but at the same time very effective health tours. From China in the coastal cities of Qingdao and Dalian are large medical centers. The knowledge of Chinese doctors is more than extensive: in addition to academic information, they possess unique valuable information, derived from the works of Chinese ancient healers. Probably, in view of all this people still buy vouchers and go to the Yellow Sea. Rest here is mostly quiet, without noisy many thousands parties, etc.

Weihai City

It is an ecologically clean place on the coast of China. The city is considered a health center, as there are many underground hot springs nearby. Among other places of interest in Wei Khan, Swan Lake stands out - the largest refuge for swans flying from north to south, as well as the Sisyakou (home of wild animals) parks and the "Edge of the World".

Beidaihe

This resort is another place that the Yellow Sea can be proud of. Where is it located? In the place where the Great Wall begins . This part of the wall is called "Dragon's Head." It has a beautiful architecture. The city is attractive for tourists also with extensive sandy beaches, comfortable hotels, pleasant climate, pristine beautiful scenery. The swimming season lasts from May to October. There are many places for entertainment: dolphinarium, water parks, safaris.

Jeju Island

The most famous resort is Fr. Jejudo. It belongs to the Republic of Korea. This paradise island in the Yellow Sea is famous for its unique natural phenomenon, which is called the Korean analogue of the miracle of Moses. "What is it like?" - surely you will ask. So, not far from Jeju, there are two small islets - Modo and Chindo, they are separated from each other by a small part of the land, flooded with water. From time to time, namely 3 times a year, the water between them recedes due to low tide, and then a narrow strip of land with a width of 30 meters and a length of about three kilometers appears in the form of a path along which one can pass from one island to another, not Wet his feet. Naturally, for tourists this is a great bait, and many of them, by all means, want to walk along the "mysterious" path, making their secret desires. The period when the tide occurs is the most loaded for tourist sites of the Korean island of Jeju Island, which is known among foreigners as a paradise island in the Yellow Sea. By the way, it was called Quelpart in former times. It was under this name that the Europeans knew him. The local climate (subtropical) is much more pleasant than in the whole republic, so it is a favorite vacation spot for the inhabitants of South Korea itself. The newlyweds also like to come here during their honeymoon. Especially for them on the island there is a beautiful park with attractions called "Love Land" - "Land of Love". On the island is located the volcano Hallasan - the highest point of the country. At its foot is a snow-white beach - a paradise for vacationers. By the way, the island is of volcanic origin, and its symbol is a huge statue of an old man cut down from a volcanic rock. In 2007, the international organization UNESCO took care of the nature of Jeju.

Another interesting feature of this island is that there is still a matriarchy - the structure of family relationships, in which the female mother of the family occupies a dominant position. The roots of this social phenomenon go back centuries: the islanders have always been famous for their boldness and devotion to the family, they earned their living by diving to great depths without any special devices for collecting the "harvest" - seafood. On the island there is a cult of henna - "women of the sea".

Chindo Island

Another popular island-resort in the Yellow Sea is Chindo. Here, tourists can enjoy a serene rest among the natural beauties on a piece of land with a well-developed tourist infrastructure, among green and yellow expanses. Memories of tourists who have already discovered the Yellow Sea, reviews of holidaymakers are always the warmest and most positive. By the way, Chindo is not just an island, but an entire archipelago. It consists of 45 small, but inhabited, and more than 180 uninhabited islets and rocks. Lovers of sights on Chindo have a lot to see. For example, a monument to the famous and very revered throughout Korea, Admiral Lee Sun Sinomu. The island is also famous for its special breed of dogs - chindokke. You probably thought about whether these dogs are a delicacy of Korean cuisine? In no event, they are revered and to some extent sacred creatures in this territory. As on Jeju Island, the main attraction here is the "miracle of Moses", because between him and Modo lies a fantastic path. Tourists can also be attracted to the island by the beauty of the national park. This is simply a delightful picture: hundreds of small islands and rocks scattered over the watery surface, rugged banks, a stunningly beautiful sunset, during which the yellowness of the sea becomes most noticeable. In a word, the landscapes here are excellent. They are really worthy of the brush of great artists.

Interesting Facts

During the Russo-Japanese War, two large-scale sea battles took place in the Yellow Sea . One of them is devoted to a lot of literary and artistic works. Surely many people know the song about the famous cruiser "Varyag" and its brave crew. So, it is composed of a Russian military ship that took part in one of these sea battles on the Yellow Sea.