Below is a picture of the high plateau in Qinghai province where the Yellow River starts.

Would such terrain be suitable for farming?

     Qinghai plateau                                                                                                          source

Much of the lower reaches of the Yellow River are not  navigable, but raftmen, like the man to the left, have found ways to get goods across the river.

           Raftman on the Yellow River                                   source

Below are two pictures showing the Yellow River in its middle reaches running through the Loess Plateau and in its lower reaches running through Shandong province. The huge amount of silt the river carries is deposited in these lower regions, raising its bed above ground level in the flat North China plain.

Why do you think flooding has been a frequent problem for people living near the Yellow River?

Hukou waterfalls on Yellow River in Shaanxi province                      source

Yellow River Plain in Shandong province                                        source

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