The Chinese call the Yellow Sea Huanghai. It belongs to the basin of the world's largest ocean - the Pacific. This sea, bearing such a strange name, is located on the eastern coast of the Eurasian continent, washed by the western coast of the Korean Peninsula.
World Map Location
So, the Yellow Sea is located in the northeastern hemisphere off the coast of mainland Eurasia. From the south, it borders the East China Sea. Only from this side the sea is not limited by land. On the other hand, it washes the shores of three peninsulas: Korean, Liaodong and Shandong, i.e., the coast 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 volume of water is approximately 17 thousand 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 its tortuosity, it forms many large and small bays. From China, the shores are mostly gentle, and the coast of Korea consists entirely of rocks. Near the coast in the waters of the sea are small islands. Some of them have popular resorts.
Why is the Yellow Sea?
So why is this natural reservoir called in this way? Its waters have a strange greenish-yellow color. The reason for this is the sediment brought by the Chinese rivers (Yellow River, Haihe, Luanhe, Liaohe, Yalujiang), which flow into the Yellow Sea. China is rich in water resources, and there are a great many similar rivers. In some of them, the water has not just yellow, but a buffy hue. 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, the river that gave the name to the Yellow Sea. Another reason for yellowness is spring powerful dust storms, which subsequently settle on the water and paint it in an atypical shade for the sea.
A little about the Yellow River
The Yellow River is one of the largest waterways on the planet. She got this name due to the huge number of suspended particles that give the water a yellowish-ocher hue. The Yellow River originates in the Tibetan Plateau, at an altitude of 4 and a half thousand meters. Its channel is winding, it constantly winds in its path, constantly changing direction. At the end of its journey, the Yellow River flows into the sea.
Climate
The Huanghai Sea coast is characterized by rather cold winters, when the water temperature drops to zero, and hot summers (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. In winter, ice floes may form on the pond. And in the summer, despite the warmth of air and water, the sea can not be called affectionate and pleasant for a long vacation. From time to time there are dust storms, heavy rains and a typhoon.
Water movement and currents
The temperature of sea waters, as well as their movement are influenced by the warm current from the East China Sea and the cold from the north-west. Therefore, the water temperature can constantly change. The flow on the surface is directed counterclockwise and forms a cycle. Depending on the coast, the magnitude of the tides changes, and if in the west they do not exceed the level of 1 meter, then in the southeast, especially in narrow bays, they can reach up to 9 meters.
Flora
In 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
It follows from the foregoing that the flora of the Huanghai Sea is rather scarce, which cannot be said about the animal world, that is, about marine fauna. It is much richer and more diverse and has a huge number of species of marine animals and microorganisms.
Bottom dwellers
We will begin our survey of the fauna from the seabed itself, which in some places is covered with silt, and in other parts with sand. The following living organisms live here:
- crustaceans: oysters, crabs, crayfish, cuttlefish, etc .;
- echinoderms (starfish, hedgehogs, snake-tails);
- sea ​​snakes;
- sea ​​worms;
- mollusks: bivalves (mussels), cephalopods (squid) and others;
- bottom fish (gobies, flat flounders, etc.).
By the way, oysters, as well as squids and mussels, are of great commercial and industrial importance. They are even grown in specialized coastal farms, because China takes the leading position in the world for the production of shellfish, in particular, oysters. I can’t even believe that 80 percent of the world's oyster production belongs to China. However, unlike Europeans, the Chinese do not eat oysters raw. They use these clams to make oyster sauce popular in the Middle Kingdom . Squids that inhabit the Yellow Sea are also important for food production. These are giant mollusks, reaching a size of 80 centimeters.
In addition to bottom fish, many other “peaceful” and predatory fish live in the waters of this reservoir: herring, cod, saury and pollock. The most popular are echinoptera eels. Its length can reach 2 meters. This predatory fish likes to hunt for small fish that live on the bottom, as well as squid and other bottom living creatures. Eel meat is very fat and tender, and therefore is in great demand in oriental cuisine.
Other inhabitants of the sea
Here, in the depths of the sea, root jellyfish, as well as aurelia, also live. They are also eaten, while they are very in demand for the preparation of some Chinese, Japanese, Korean national dishes. Probably few know that seafood, which today is called "crystal meat", is a processed jellyfish carcass. This is a real delicacy, which can be found only in the cuisines of the countries of the Pacific basin.
Sovereigns of the deep sea
The Yellow Sea is teeming with sharks. Here you can find many species of sharks:
- feline;
- prickly;
- Japanese
- large-mouthed;
- bearded;
- cunya;
- foxes;
- collar;
- hammerhead;
- mako;
- gray
- white and others
Despite this diversity, information that a shark attacked a person is extremely rare here. It turns out that the stories about the bloodthirstiness of these large fish are either a myth, or tourists are a rarity on this sea. In any case, this proves that sharks are quite 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 particularly attractive for tourists from all over the world. The Russians did not like him, although in fact you can spend a very interesting vacation here. The only thing that can lead our citizens to the shores of the Yellow Sea is the relatively cheap, but at the same time very effective, wellness tours. From China, large medical centers are located in the coastal cities of Qingdao and Dalian. The knowledge of Chinese physicians is more than extensive: in addition to academic information, they possess unique valuable information drawn from the works of Chinese ancient healers. Probably, with all this in mind, people still buy vouchers and go to the Yellow Sea. Rest here is mostly calm, without noisy parties of many thousands, etc.
Weihai City
This is an environmentally friendly place on the coast of China. The city is considered a wellness center, as there are many underground hot springs nearby. Among the other attractions of Weihan, Swan Lake stands out - the largest haven for swans flying from north to south, as well as Sisyakou parks (the habitat of wild animals) and the End of the World.
Beidaihe
This resort is another place the Yellow Sea can be proud of. Where is it located? In the place where the Great Wall of China begins . This part of the wall is called the “Dragon Head”. It has a beautiful architecture. The city is also attractive for tourists with its extensive sandy beaches, comfortable hotels, pleasant climate, pristine beautiful landscape. 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 about. Jeju. It refers 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?” - you will probably be interested. So, not far from Jeju, there are two small islands - 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 appears with a width of 30 meters and a length of about three kilometers in the form of a path along which you can pass from one island to another, wet feet. Naturally, this is a wonderful bait for tourists, and many of them by all means want to walk along the “mysterious” path, making their innermost desires. The period when the ebb tide occurs is the busiest for tourist sites of the Korean island of Jeju, which is known among foreigners as a paradise island in the Yellow Sea. By the way, in former times it was called Quelpart. It was under this name that Europeans knew him. The local climate (subtropical) is much more pleasant than in the whole republic, therefore it is a favorite vacation spot for residents of South Korea itself. Newlyweds also like to come here during their honeymoon. Especially for them, the island has a beautiful amusement park called “Love Land” - “Land of Love”. On the island is the Hallasan volcano - the highest point in the country. At its foot there 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 volcanic rock. In 2007, the nature of Jeju took over the international organization of UNESCO.
Another interesting feature of this island is that matriarchy still exists here - the structure of family relationships in which the dominant place is held by the woman - the mother of the family. The roots of this social phenomenon go back centuries: the islanders were always famous for their courage 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 hene - “women of the sea”.
Jindo island
Another popular resort island in the Yellow Sea is Jindo. Here, tourists can enjoy a relaxing holiday among the natural beauties on a piece of land with a well-developed tourist infrastructure, among green and yellow open spaces. The memories of tourists who have already managed to discover the Yellow Sea, reviews of vacationers are always the warmest and most positive. By the way, Jindo is not just an island, but a whole archipelago. It consists of 45 small but inhabited, and more than 180 uninhabited islets and rocks. Fans of sightseeing in Jindo have something to see. For example, a monument to the most famous and highly revered throughout Korea, Admiral Lee Sung Sin. 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 case, they are revered and to some extent sacred creatures in this territory. Like on Jeju Island, the main attraction here is the “miracle of Moses”, because it is between him and Modo that the fantastic path lies. Tourists can also be attracted to the island by the beauties of the national park. This is just an amazing picture: hundreds of small islands and rocks scattered across the water surface, rugged coasts, stunningly beautiful sunset, during which the yellowness of the sea becomes most noticeable. In a word, the landscapes are excellent. They are truly worthy of the brush of great artists.
Interesting Facts
During the Russo-Japanese War in the Yellow Sea, two large-scale naval battles took place . One of them is devoted to many literary and artistic works. Surely many people know the song about the famous cruiser "Varangian" and his brave crew. So, it is composed of a Russian military vessel, which took part in one of these naval battles on the Yellow Sea.