Yarlung Zangbo River
Yarlung Zangbo River
Seen as "Mother River" by Tibetans, Yarlung Zangbo River is the largest river in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Originating in the Gyima Yangzong Glacier (5,500 meters above sea level) in Zhongba County at the northern foot of the Himalayas, it runs through 23 counties of Xigaze, Lhasa, Shannan and Nyingchi, flowing 2,057 km and covering a drainage area of 240,480 square km. After leaving Medog County, it becomes Brahmaputra River which empties into the Indian Ocean when passing through India and Bangladesh. The Yarlung Zangbo River runs 2,057 km in China (ranking fifth in China in terms of length), draining an area of 240,000 square km (sixth in China). With the drainage area having an average elevation of 4,500 meters, the Yarlung Zangbo is the highest river in the world. About 1 million people, or 37 percent of Tibet's total population, live in the area drained by the Yarlung Zangbo River, where cultivated land amounts to over 150,000 hectares, or 41.67 percent of the region's total. The area is also home to some major cities and towns, including Lhasa, Xigaze, Gyangze, Zetang and Bayi.
