Yellow Sea

Yellow Sea: After aggressive posturing in the South China Sea, China is upping the ante in the Yellow Sea, following the building of a gigantic steel rig.

• About Yellow Sea: Known as Huang Hai in China and the West Sea in North & South Korea.
• Location: A marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, lies north of the East China Sea.
• Bordered by mainland China (north & west) and North & South Korea (east).
• Name Origin: Named after yellowish sand particles from the Gobi Desert that color the sea surface golden yellow.
• Area: Covers approximately 400,000 sq. km.
• Dimensions: Extends about 960 km north–south, and around 700 km east–west.
• Depth: Relatively shallow, with an average depth of 55 to 120 meters (180 to 394 feet).
• One of the world’s largest continental shelf areas submerged in water.
• Climate: Cold, dry winters, Wet, warm summers.
• Major Rivers Flowing Into It: Han, Yangtze, Datung, Yalu, Guang, and Sheyang Rivers.
• Islands: Numerous islands, including Jeju Island (South Korea), Shandong Peninsula islands (China), Ganghwa Island (South Korea)
• Leading Port Cities: Qingdao and Dalian (China), Inch’ŏn (South Korea), and Namp’o (North Korea)