- Chinese (Pinyin):
- Heilong Jiang or
- (Wade-Giles):
- Hei-lung Chiang
- Mongol:
- Kharamuren
Amur River
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What is the Amur River?
The Amur River is the longest river in the Russian Far East, ranking behind only the Yangtze and Huang He among China’s longest rivers. Rising from headwaters in Russia, Mongolia, and China, it flows east and southeast, forming much of the border between China’s Heilongjiang province and southeastern Siberia. Known as Heilong Jiang, or “Black Dragon River,” in Chinese, and Kharamuren, or “Black River,” in Mongolian, the Amur flows into the Tatar Strait at the Russian city of Khabarovsk.
The Amur River and its tributaries drain a basin of about 716,200 square miles (1,855,000 square km). Its most important tributaries include the Zeya, Bureya, and Amgun rivers, which enter on the left bank from Siberia, the Sungari (Songhua) River entering on the right from China, and the Ussuri (Wusuli) River, which flows northward along China’s eastern border with Siberia until, just after entering Russia, it joins the Amur at Khabarovsk. Fishing is the primary economic activity on the Amur, and its river and large tributaries are navigable when ice-free.
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Where is the Amur River located?
The Amur River is located in East Asia and is the longest river in the Russian Far East. It is behind only the Yangtze and Huang He among China’s longest rivers.
The Amur River's headwaters are in Russia (Siberia), Mongolia, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. The main river flows east and southeast, forming much of the border between China’s Heilongjiang province and southeastern Siberia. At the Russian city of Khabarovsk, it turns northeast and flows across Russian territory to the Tatar Strait.
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Which countries does the Amur River flow through?
The Amur River flows through Russia, China, and Mongolia. Rising in the mountains northwest and southeast of where the borders of Russia, Mongolia, and China meet, the Amur River flows generally east and southeast, forming much of the border between China’s Heilongjiang province and southeastern Siberia. The river flows across Russian territory to the Tatar Strait.
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What are some important species that live in or around the Amur River?
The Amur River is home to diverse species. The lower portion of the river contains around 100 species of fish, while the upper portion contains 60, a number greater than many large European rivers. Of these, 25 to 30 species have commercial value. Northern species include Siberian salmon, the sig, and the burbot, while southern species include the Chinese perch and the white amur. The river also has around 20 indigenous species of carp and broadhead. A unique characteristic of the Amur is the high number of fish species, such as the Siberian salmon, that develop in the sea, which allows them to avoid the sharp changes in water level that occur in the river during the summer.
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How does the Amur River affect the people and cities nearby?
The Amur River significantly influences the people and cities nearby through several key aspects:
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Economy Fishing is a chief economic activity, and the river is navigable when ice-free. Main river ports include Pokrovka, Blagoveshchensk, Leninskoye, and Khabarovsk. Cooperation between China and Russia has increased the river's importance for navigation and agricultural projects.
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Agriculture The fertile southern part of the Amur region is used for cultivation, with wheat as the dominant crop. Soybeans, sunflowers, and flax are also important industrial crops.
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Hydrology Fed by monsoon rains, the river experiences flooding from May to October, causing economic losses. Ice forms in October, with ice jams causing catastrophic flooding.
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History Originally inhabited by nomadic groups, the river basin saw Russian exploration in the 17th century. Efforts have been made for political and economic cooperation in the region between Russia and China since the breakup of the Soviet Union.
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What role does the Amur River play in trade or relations between countries in Asia?
The Amur River, also known as Heilong Jiang, is crucial for trade and relations between Russia and China. Historically, it has been a point of contention due to territorial disputes, particularly in the 19th century when Russia gained control over lands north of the river. Despite past tensions, including armed conflict in 1969, Sino-Soviet relations have improved, leading to increased cooperation.
Today, the Amur River is an important waterway for navigation and economic activities such as fishing. Key river ports include Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk in Russia, and Harbin and Jiamusi on its Chinese tributaries. Cooperation between China and Russia has led to projects focused on navigation, agricultural land reclamation, and developing hydroelectric power, highlighting the river's potential for fostering economic growth and regional cooperation.
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News •
Amur River, river of East Asia. It is the longest river of the Russian Far East, and it ranks behind only the Yangtze and Huang Ho (Yellow River) among China’s longest rivers. Its headwaters rise in Russia (Siberia), Mongolia, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China in the mountains northwest and southeast of the point where their borders meet. The main river flows generally east and southeast, forming much of the border between China’s Heilongjiang province and southeastern Siberia. At the Russian city of Khabarovsk it turns northeastward and flows across Russian territory to the Tatar Strait. The Amur’s Chinese name, Heilong Jiang, means “Black Dragon River,” and its Mongol name, Kharamuren, means “Black River.”
Physical features
Physiography
The Amur and its tributaries drain a basin of about 716,200 square miles (1,855,000 square km). The Amur proper begins at the confluence of the Shilka and the Argun (Ergun) rivers, 1,755 miles (2,824 km) from its mouth. The Shilka begins more than 340 miles (550 km) farther inland in Siberia at the junction of the Ingoda and Onon rivers, whose ultimate sources lie more than 300 miles (500 km) farther southwest in the Yablonovy Range on the Siberian-Mongolian border. The Argun rises in Inner Mongolia, about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from its confluence with the Shilka. The Amur’s most important tributaries include the Zeya, Bureya, and Amgun rivers, which enter on the left bank from Siberia, the Sungari (Songhua) River entering on the right from China, and the Ussuri (Wusuli) River, which flows northward along China’s eastern border with Siberia until, just after entering Russia, it joins the Amur at Khabarovsk (see ). Lake Khanka (Xingkai), the source of the Ussuri, is the system’s largest lake.
It is customary to divide the river into three sections: the upper, middle, and lower Amur. The upper Amur begins at the juncture of the Shilka and Argun and ends at the mouth of the Zeya (at the Siberian city of Blagoveshchensk), about 560 miles (900 km) downstream. The middle Amur extends about 600 miles (970 km) from the Zeya east to Khabarovsk. The lower Amur, from Khabarovsk to the mouth, also is about 600 miles (970 km) long.
The upper Amur flows through a mountain valley between spurs of the Da Hinggan (Greater Khingan) Range to the south, which is covered by thick larch woods, and the pine-clad slopes of the Amarzar Range to the north. Near Albazino, Siberia, the mountains part, and the river enters open plateau country. The terraced slopes there indicate that the Amur cut through this region in the last few million years. Below Yermakovo the river enters a region of rocky precipices made up of complex layers of spontaneously igniting carbonaceous, clayey shales that continually steam and occasionally burst into flames.
The middle Amur flows into the Zeya-Bureya Depression. The left bank rises gradually to the plain of the depression, while the right slope—steep and high—borders the Xiao Hinggan (Lesser Khingan) Range of China. Below the confluence of the Bureya River the plain narrows gradually, and near Pashkovo the river runs past spurs extending from the Bureya Range to the north. Farther on it flows along a narrow gorge through the Xiao Hinggan Range, its depth and speed increasing dramatically.
Emerging from this constriction, the Amur runs between low, easily flooded banks into a vast marsh, the surface of which is broken by channels and dotted with lakes and ponds. The riverbed branches often, becoming a classic braided channel. Near Leninskoye, Siberia, the Sungari, the Amur’s largest tributary, pours in its yellow, silt-laden waters, and near Khabarovsk it is joined by the Ussuri. With these additions to its waters, the lower Amur overflows widely over the flat, marshy ground of the valley below. The riverbed becomes a labyrinth of branches, channels, offshoots, former riverbeds, islands, sandbanks, and spits. During high-water seasons these sections overflow, and the region becomes an enormous lake. At Khabarovsk the Amur is only 230 miles (370 km) due northwest of the Sea of Japan (East Sea); but, diverted by the Sikhote-Alin ranges, it runs northeastward for 600 miles (970 km) before emptying into the sea. Near Komsomolsk-na-Amure the plain gradually narrows, and the river flows for 90 miles (145 km) through another restricted channel among mountains into a scenic forest valley. It then enters the Udil Kizinsky hollow with wide, flat, marsh-ridden ground. In the hollow lie two large lakes—the Great Kizi and the Udyl. Near Bogorodskoye the hollow is closed in by mountains, and the river flows out onto a low-lying plain, where the Amgun, the last of its important tributaries, joins the Amur on its left bank. It enters the sea through a wide, bell-shaped estuary, which is about 30 miles (50 km) long.