Liao
Liao is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 42.07°, 122.99°
About Liao
The Liao River (simplified Chinese: 辽河; traditional Chinese: 遼河; pinyin: Liáo Hé) is the principal river in southern Northeast China, and one of the seven main river systems in China. Its name is derived from the Liao region, a historical name for southern Manchuria, from which the Liaoning province, Liaodong Peninsula, and Liao dynasty also derive their names. The river is also popularly known as the "mother river" in Northeast China. Coursing 1,345 kilometres (836 mi) long, the Liao River system drains a catchment basin of over 232,000 square kilometres (90,000 mi2), but its mean discharge is quite small at only about 500 cubic metres per second (18,000 cu ft/s), about one-twentieth that of the Pearl River. The Liao River has an exceedingly high sediment load because many parts of it flow through powdery loess.
The Liao River is also an important geographical landmark, as it divides the modern Liaoning province into two broad regions — Liaodong ("east of Liao") and Liaoxi ("west of Liao").
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Liao River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Liao in Depth
Course
The Liao River is formed from the confluence of its two main tributaries, the Xiliao River from the west, and Dongliao River from the east. The western tributary resides entirely in Inner Mongolia, and is formed by the confluence of the Xar Moron River and the Laoha River at approximately 43° 25' N, 120° 45' E, before being reinforced by another tributary called the Xinkai River at its lower section. The eastern tributary arises in western Jilin Province, and goes through an S-shaped course before meeting its counterpart near the junction region of Liaoning, Jilin and Inner Mongolia, approximately 42° 59' N, 123° 33' E.
Tributaries
Xiliao River (西辽河, "Western Liao River"), historically also known as Huang River (潢水), is the largest tributary of Liao River, running 449 kilometres (279 mi) and draining a basin of 136,000 square kilometres (53,000 sq mi). The Xiliao River is formed by the confluence of Laoha River (老哈河) flowing from the southwest, and Xar Moron River (西拉木伦河) flowing from the west, running its entire length eastwards within Inner Mongolia.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Liao River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Liao: Key Facts
| Length | 1,345 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 630 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 232,000 km² |
| Source | Laoha He |
| Mouth | Yellow Sea |
| Tributaries | Hun River, Xiliao River, Dongliao He, Taizi River |
Facts from Wikidata Q559661 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Liao: Quick Answers
- Where is Liao?
- Liao is located in China, at 42.0684° N, 122.9912° E.
- Are there dams on the Liao?
- No dam on the Liao is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.