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How did the Yellow River get its yellow color?
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Yellow River
The Yellow River (Huang He) basin and the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) basin and their drainage networks.
The Yellow River derives its name and distinctive color from the large quantities of fine loess sediments it carries.12
The river flows through the Loess Plateau, a region characterized by thick layers of loose, wind-deposited soil. Because this soil is easily eroded, the river picks up an enormous sediment loadâthe highest concentration of any river in the worldâwhich gives the water its characteristic yellow appearance as it travels toward the sea. In Mandarin Chinese, the name huang (meaning "yellow") is a direct reference to these suspended particles.3412