Huai River

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (March 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Huai River Huai He
Huai River in the city of Bengbu, Anhui.
Map of the Huai River and its major tributaries.
Native name	淮河
Location
Country	China
Provinces	Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu
Cities	Xinyang, Fuyang, Lu'an, Huainan, Bengbu, Tianchang, Huai'an, Yangzhou
Physical characteristics
Source	Tongbai Mountain
• location	Nanyang, Henan
• coordinates	32°22′52″N 113°16′35″E / 32.3810°N 113.2763°E / 32.3810; 113.2763
• elevation	1,029 m (3,376 ft)
Mouth	Yangtze
• location	Yangzhou, Jiangsu
• coordinates	32°18′28″N 119°42′13″E / 32.3078°N 119.7035°E / 32.3078; 119.7035
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	1,110 km (690 mi)
Basin size	174,000 km2 (67,000 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	1,616 m3/s (57,100 cu ft/s)[1] Note, this is the main discharge into the Yangtze, 82.0% of the total water flow of all Huai waters.
Basin features
Progression	Yangtze → East China Sea

The Huai River, formerly romanized as the Hwai, is a major river in East China, about 1,110 km (690 mi) long with a drainage area of 174,000 km² (67,000 sq mi).^[2] It is located about midway between the Yellow River and Yangtze River,^[2] the two longest rivers and largest drainage basins in China. Historically draining eastwards directly into the Yellow Sea, erosion from floods have changed the course of the river such that it now primarily discharges into the Yangtze. The Huai River is, to this day, notoriously vulnerable to flooding.

The Qinling–Huaihe Line, formed by the Huai River and the Qin Mountains, is sometimes regarded as the geographical dividing line between northern and southern China. This line approximates the 0 °C (32 °F) January isotherm and the 800 millimeters (30 in) isohyet in China.