<P> The Yangtze is flanked with metallurgical, power, chemical, auto, building materials and machinery industrial belts and high - tech development zones . It is playing an increasingly crucial role in the river valley's economic growth and has become a vital link for international shipping to the inland provinces . The river is a major transportation artery for China, connecting the interior with the coast . </P> <P> The river is one of the world's busiest waterways . Traffic includes commercial traffic transporting bulk goods such as coal as well as manufactured goods and passengers . Cargo transportation reached 795 million tons in 2005 . River cruises several days long, especially through the beautiful and scenic Three Gorges area, are becoming popular as the tourism industry grows in China . </P> <P> Flooding along the river has been a major problem . The rainy season in China is May and June in areas south of Yangtze River, and July and August in areas north of it . The huge river system receives water from both southern and northern flanks, which causes its flood season to extend from May to August . Meanwhile, the relatively dense population and rich cities along the river make the floods more deadly and costly . The most recent major floods were the 1998 Yangtze River Floods, but more disastrous were the 1954 Yangtze River Floods, killing around 30,000 people . </P> <P> Although the mouth of the Yellow River has fluctuated widely north and south of the Shandong peninsula within the historical record, the Yangtze has remained largely static . Based on studies of sedimentation rates, however, it is unlikely that the present discharge site predates the late Miocene (c. 11 Ma). Prior to this, its headwaters drained south into the Gulf of Tonkin along or near the course of the present Red River . </P>

Where is yangtze river located on a map