<P> The great size of the reservoir and the huge relocation it caused was justified by the flood protection it provides for communities downstream . As of June 2008, China relocated 1.24 million residents (ending with Gaoyang in Hubei Province) as 13 cities, 140 towns and 1350 villages either flooded or were partially flooded by the reservoir (A_2 - M: CR3 - 1HP: S - 15), about 1.5% of the province's 60.3 million and Chongqing Municipality's 31.44 million population . About 140,000 residents were relocated to other provinces . </P> <P> Relocation was completed on July 22, 2008 . Some 2007 reports claimed that Chongqing Municipality will encourage an additional four million people to move away from the dam to the main urban area of Chongqing by 2020 . However, the municipal government explained that the relocation is due to urbanization, rather than the dam, and people involved included other areas of the municipality . </P> <P> Allegedly, funds for relocating 13,000 farmers around Gaoyang disappeared after being sent to the local government, leaving residents without compensation . </P> <P> The 600 km (370 mi) long reservoir flooded some 1,300 archaeological sites and altered the appearance of the Three Gorges as the water level rose over 300 ft (91 m). Cultural and historical relics are being moved to higher ground as they are discovered, but the flooding inevitably covered undiscovered relics . Some sites could not be moved because of their location, size, or design . For example, the hanging coffins site high in the Shen Nong Gorge is part of the cliffs . </P>

The largest hydroelectric plant in the world is the three gorges dam in china