Land Formation and Rivers

China's land drops off in escarpments eastward to the ocean, letting in humid air current and leading many rivers eastward. Among the rivers totaling 220,000 kilometers in length in China, the Changjiang (Yangtze River) and the Huanghe (Yellow River) are world known. China has beautiful scenery, with mountains and ranges, highlands, plains, basins, and hills. The highlands and hill region account for 65 percent of the country's total land mass, and there are more than 2,000 lakes. The highest mountain peak is Gomolangma (Everest), the highest in the world, 8,848 meters above sea level; the lowest point is the Turpan Basin, 154 meters below sea level.