Lake Ohrid is the oldest and deepest lake in Europe. The deepest lake in the world The oldest and deepest lake on the planet

Not only the most voluminous. It is the deepest and one of the most ancient. Baikal is located in the deepest crevasse on the planet's surface. This crevice is the most complex and least understood fault zone in the earth's crust. The depth of the lake is on average 745 meters, and the deepest point reaches 1637 meters. The lake stretches for 636 km and its width reaches 80 km. The surface of the lake is 31,000 km2.

This ancient lake arose 20-30 million years ago as a result of tectonic shifts. Fresh and clean water in the lake is preserved due to two factors. First, it is inhabited by the endemic Baikal Epishura - a microscopic crustacean that filters a huge amount of algae and bacteria. In addition, most of the watershed of Lake Baikal is supported by rocky rocks. Thus, the inflow of water on the way to the lake hardly comes into contact with sediments and minerals. It is an oligotrophic lake and its water has excellent drinking qualities.

365 rivers flow into Baikal, among which the Yenisei is the largest river in Siberia. The lake contains 20% of the fresh water supply on the Earth's surface. The volume of fresh water in the lake is 26,000 cubic kilometers. The ancient body of water is considered one of the cleanest in the world. The water extracted from the depths of the lake can be drunk without pretreatment. In winter, the lake freezes over and becomes covered with ice.

The most oligotrophic lake in the world

Lake Superior, a freshwater lake system in North America, is the largest freshwater lake in the world in terms of water surface area. Its surface is 82,170 km2. It contains as much water as all the Great Lakes combined: 11,600 cubic kilometers. The fresh water supply of the lake is 10% of the total supply on the surface of the planet Earth.

Lake Verkhnee is associated with a rare snow effect of the lake, when the winter air above the warm surface of the water is saturated with steam, turns into clouds, and then precipitation falls in the form of snow.

The amount of water in the lake is enough to flood North and South America to a depth of 30 cm. The deepest mark in the lake is 400 m. More than 300 rivers and streams flow into Lake Superior.

If you stretch the shoreline of the lake in a straight line, it could connect the Bahamas and Duluth, a city in Minnesota, USA.

On average, the transparency of the water in the lake reaches 8 meters in depth. It is the cleanest and most transparent of the Great Lakes and the most oligotrophic lake in the world. The lake is 563 km long and 257 km wide. In summer, the sun sets on the western shore of the lake 35 minutes later than on its southeastern shore.

The largest lake in the world by area is the Caspian Sea. But it is not freshwater. The salinity of water in it is about a third of the salinity of water in the seas of the planet.

Lake Superior is one of the youngest lakes in the world. It is only 10,000 years old.

Eternal human interest in everything the most-very in the world - big, small, long, tall, deep - is inexhaustible in the search for new curious facts and unusual records. And if it is not possible to surpass exceptional natural masterpieces, then in the spheres of construction and industrial production people from generation to generation tirelessly strive to establish at least a temporary superiority over competitors in height, size and a number of other parameters. The material below contains the most amazing sights of the world, created by nature and human hands.

The biggest country in the world

According to a 2015 estimate, its population does not exceed 1,000, and almost all are subjects of the Holy See.

The next largest state (other autonomous territories are not taken into account) is Monaco with an area of ​​2.02 square meters. km and with a population of approximately 38,800 people, according to 2014 estimates.

The largest city in the world

The largest city in the world in terms of population and at the same time the largest sea ​​port- Shanghai, China. This metropolis, according to 2015, is home to 24,152,700 people.

The largest urban agglomeration is Tokyo-Yokohama, 37,843,000 people. The population of Tokyo alone is 13 617 445 people (for 2016).

There is no unified assessment of cities in terms of area, since the official city line throughout the world is formed and indicated in different ways: with or without suburbs. Currently, one of the largest cities in terms of area is Beijing, 16411 sq. km (according to other sources - 16801 sq. km), of which the city itself accounts for approximately 1368 sq. km. km (and this territory is growing steadily every year due to the suburbs), to the suburbs - about 15,042 sq. km.

The largest and smallest island in the world

With such a vague definition, the volume of wood is taken as the main criterion for "calculating" the winner. The volume of the trunk of this sequoiadendron at the time of setting the record is 1487 cubic meters, while the mass of the entire tree is estimated at 1900 tons - "General Sherman" is not only the largest, but also the heaviest living organism on Earth at the present time, if you do not take into account the aspen poplar grove - clonal colony of Pando (about 6,000 tons). And this sequoiadendron, whose age is estimated at 2300-2700 years, continues to grow and every year adds about 1.5 cm in width. The measured height of the tree is 83.8 meters, the circumference of the trunk at the ground is 31.3 meters, the maximum trunk diameter is 11.1 meters.

However, in terms of diameter, the giant is inferior to the Mexican Tula Tree in the city of Santa Maria del Tula. According to measurements in 2005, its diameter at the ground is 11.62 meters, and its circumference is 36.2 meters. The exact height of a tree is difficult to measure due to its wide crown; according to approximate measurements - about 35.4 meters. Scientists are still arguing about its age and the real number of trunks, but this did not prevent the Thule Tree from being included in the UNESCO list as a natural monument of international importance back in 2001.

The largest animal in the world

The largest animal on the planet is the blue whale (aka blue whale, vomited). The body length of these marine mammals reaches 33 meters, and their weight can exceed 150 tons. Historically, the area of ​​this species of cetaceans was the entire World Ocean, but now their populations are scattered. Blue whales are found year round in equatorial waters Indian Ocean, they can be seen from the shores of Sri Lanka, Maldives and Seychelles.

The largest whale ever caught by humans is considered a female blue whale, caught in 1926 in the waters of the South Shetland Islands. The length of its body from the fork of the caudal fin to the end of the snout is 33.27 meters, weight - 176.792 tons.

The largest animal on land is the bush elephant (a species of African elephants). As a rule, males weigh an average of 7 tons, females - about 5 tons. With a body length of about 6-7.5 meters, the height of an elephant at the shoulders is close to 3-3.8 meters. The recorded weight of the largest bush elephant was 12.24 tonnes. The animal was shot in 1974 in the village of Mukusso (Angola). Tourists can see savannah elephants in Africa in national parks and reserves.

The fastest animal in the world

The cheetah is the fastest land mammal. According to various sources, these predators can accelerate in 3 seconds to a speed of 96.6 - 112 km / h. National Geographic magazine named a female named Sarah (also - Sahara) the fastest cheetah: she ran 100 meters in 5.95 seconds. The sprint race of cheetahs for prey lasts no more than 20 seconds and is limited to a distance of 400 meters.

Moreover, among all the animals of the world, cheetahs take only 13th place in speed. The championship is for the birds. And the fastest bird and generally the fastest representative of the animal kingdom is the peregrine falcon, which develops a speed of 322 km / h in a dive flight, the record noted by researchers is 389 km / h. However, in horizontal flight, the peregrine falcon is inferior to the Brazilian foldlip (a species of bats and the fastest mammal) with its speed over 160-200 km / h and swifts (species - black, needle-tailed), capable of maximum acceleration up to 169 km / h.

Among fish, the black marlin stands out with its speed: on average, these large oceanic fish are able to cut the water column at a speed of 85 km / h, the maximum established speed of a representative of the species is 129 km / h.

Of insects, gadflies fly the fastest - on average 60 km / h, maximum - 90 km / h.

Some representatives of the class of reptiles can reach speeds of up to 35-40 km / h, but no more. These are bearded agamas, green iguanas, and leatherback turtles in the water.

The largest fish in the world

The largest fish of our time is the whale shark, harmless for humans, that lives in the warm waters of the tropics. It feeds mainly on plankton, and its average length varies between 10 and 12 meters, although such specimens are extremely rare for fishers.

The second largest species is the giant shark (giant shark). Like the whale shark, this shark feeds on small organisms - plankton. On average, adults reach 6-8 meters, and only a few sharks grow up to 9-12 meters.

Beluga is the largest freshwater fish and belongs to the sturgeon family. This species is listed in the Red Book. The largest fish caught in the Caspian Sea and at the mouth of the Volga were over 4 meters in length and weighing about 1.5 tons.

The largest shark in the world

The size and weight of the largest sharks has been debated for decades. Currently, the existence of exceptional specimens of whale sharks over 20 meters long is allowed. In particular, the information that inspires confidence of researchers include reports of a shark 20 meters long and weighing 34 tons, caught near Taiwan in 1997, and a shark 17.5 meters long and weighing 15 tons, caught in the Arabian Sea off the coast of the city of Veraval. India.

A very large whale shark was last reported on February 7, 2012. Then Pakistani fishermen caught an already dead shark near Karachi, 11 to 12 meters long and weighing about 15 tons.

The largest shark that ever existed is the megalodon - an extinct species, the size of whose representatives can be judged by paleontological finds: the average length is about 15 meters, while the megalodons were predators.

The largest snake in the world

The largest snakes on the planet are representatives of boas and pythons, namely the green anaconda and the reticulated python.

The hardest snake in the world is the common or green anaconda, and the name "water boa" also belongs to it. National Geographic points out that the largest female anaconda can grow up to 8.8 meters and weigh more than 227 kg. However on this moment this indicator remains only a theoretical estimate. By now, there are a lot of reports about giant anacondas, but most of them do not have any material evidence and belong to legends. The largest recorded specimen of an anaconda in captivity was kept at the Pittsburgh Zoo. The snake grew to 6.27 meters, and was weighed even at a length of 5.94 meters - 91 kg.

The longest snake - a reticulated python native to Asia - grows up to 1.5 - 6.5 meters in nature. The largest member of the species measured was 6.95 meters long and weighed 59 kg, but had not eaten for almost 3 months until the moment of measurement. With pythons, as well as with anacondas, there is a lot of unconfirmed evidence, including a length of more than 8 meters.

The largest spider in the world

The world's largest spider is the goliath tarantula of the tarantula genus, in Latin - Theraphosa blondi. The specimen described in the Guinness Book of Records was discovered by members of the expedition of Pablo San Martin in the tropical forests of Venezuela in 1965. The leg span of the Goliath tarantula was 28 cm. In 1998, the same size was recorded in a two-year-old spider that grew in captivity, while it weighed 170 grams.

With a leg span of about 25 cm or more, some species of the Sparassidae family grow, their sonorous often used name is giant crab spiders.

The largest spiders in Russia are the South Russian tarantula and several types of spiders. Basically, the size of the largest individuals does not exceed 2.5-3 cm.

The largest dog in the world

The title of the tallest dog in the world with a mention and photographs in the Book of Records belongs to Zeus - the Great Dane (also known as the Danish Great Dane), the favorite of the Durlag family from the city of Otsego, Michigan, USA. Zeus's height is 111.8 cm, the dog weighs more than 70 kg. If Zeus stands on his hind legs, his "height" will be 224 cm. The record was set on October 4, 2011. At the same time, Zeus is not much higher than the previous record holders - Giant George (109.2 cm) and Titan (107.3 cm), which, by the way, are of the same breed - Great Dane.

The most heavy dog back in 1987, the English mastiff Zorba was named: a six-year-old dog weighed 142.7 kg. Two years later, when weighed again, it was even heavier: 155.6 kg at a height of 94 cm.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest dog that ever existed lived on Earth about 15.3 million years ago, during the late Miocene. The average weight of this ancient wild dog is 170 kg.

The largest cat in the world

The longest living pet cat is Maine Coon Ludo, a favorite of Kelsey Gill from Wakefield, UK. The cat was measured for the Guinness Book of Records on October 6, 2015. As expected, the measurements were carried out three times, and then the average length was calculated - 118.33 cm. At the time of measurement, the pet was 17 months old, it weighed 11 kg. Now several active pages in social networks are devoted to news from his life.

The record of the famous predecessor of Ludo, also Maine Coon, Stewie's cat, is 123 cm, he was named the domestic cat with the longest tail. He died in 2013 at the age of 8.

Officially, the largest cat in the world of all living is the liger Hercules (a hybrid of a lion and a tigress). He was born in 2002 at the Institute for Endangered and Rare Species in Miami, at the time of the last measurements at the age of 11 he weighed 418.2 kg, was 3.33 meters long and 125 cm high at the withers. Hercules is mobile and does not suffer from obesity.

Tallest man in the world

The height of the tallest man in history, American Robert Pershing Wadlow, registered in the Guinness Book, is 272 cm. With this height, he weighed 199 kg. The giant was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor and acromegaly, so he grew vigorously from the age of four until his death - at the age of 22 in 1940.

The second-tallest in the entire history of observations is John Rogan, who was dubbed the "Negro giant" by contemporary newspapers. However, already in adolescence, due to his height, he began to develop ankylosis - immobility of the joints. Its exact weight was measured only posthumously, in 1905 at the age of 40, and was 267 cm with a weight of only 79 kg.

The tallest living person is the Turkish farmer Sultan Kösen, born in 1982, whose height is 251 cm. Gigantism in his case is also caused by a pituitary tumor, but as a result of treatment, doctors managed to slow down the further growth of the man.

Currently, the history of medicine knows about 17 people who have reached a height of more than 244 cm.

The fastest man in the world

Usain Bolt

Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA

The fame of Usain Bolt, the Jamaican runner, has been thundering since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and now the athlete has 9 gold medals from the Olympic Games and 11 from the World Championships. The athlete, nicknamed "Lightning" (Lightning Bolt - literally "Lightning strike"), set 8 records.

The fastest man reached his first world speed record in 2008 at the age of 22 - 100 meters in 9.72 seconds. In 2009, he improved his 100m to 9.58 seconds. His world record for a distance of 200 meters is 19.19 seconds.

Tallest building in the world

The tallest building and structure ever built by mankind is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, also known as the Dubai Tower.

The grandiose eastern skyscraper, shaped like a futuristic center or stalagmite, rises 828 meters from the ground, includes 163 floors and a sharp spire directed upward. The grand opening of the skyscraper, which thundered all over the world, took place in 2010, on January 4, then the ceremony included a light show and fireworks, and was broadcast online.

The Dubai skyscraper was built with a large margin, because the earlier (and also not yet overcome by the third high-rise) record was correlated with the Warsaw radio mast (646.38 meters), which fell in 1991.

The tallest building in Russia and Europe is the Federation Tower (about 374 meters) as part of the Moscow City complex, followed by two more skyscrapers of the same complex - OKO (South Tower, 354 meters) and Mercury City (339 meters). The fourth tallest building in Europe after the Moscow towers remains the pyramidal London skyscraper The Shard (309 meters), which opened to tourists in 2013.

The unspoken international competition for the construction of super skyscrapers continues, and, perhaps, very soon it will be possible to learn about taking a new height.

Tallest tower in the world

Among the already built TV towers, the leader is the Tokyo Skytree, 634 meters high, which rises in a special area of ​​Sumida. It is also the second high-rise building in the world after Burj Khalifa. The tower was built by February 29, 2012 as part of the program for the complete transition of Japanese television to digital format, since the height of the Tokyo TV Tower (332.6 meters) was insufficient for this task. Observation decks on Tokyo Skytree are located on several levels, the highest at 451 meters.

Guangzhou TV Tower is 34 meters lower than the Tokyo Sky Tree, but with its highest observation deck will be able to see the panorama of the metropolis from a height of 488 meters.

In the Western Hemisphere, altitude dominance remains with the famous CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, built back in 1976. Its height is 553.3 meters, and the observation deck at 447 meters annually receives more than 2 million people. By the way, the Ostankinskaya Tower in Moscow is only 13 meters lower than the Canadian CN Tower, and it has the 4th place in the world.

The longest bridge in the world

The three longest bridges are railway bridges, and all of them are located in China.

The maximum length is at the Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct (164.8 km), which was commissioned at the end of June 2011. The bridge is part of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, approximately 9 km of the bridge passes over the water surface. The largest body of water crossed by the Danyang-Kunshan viaduct is Yangcheng Lake. The other two acting railway bridge of the three record-breaking lengths - the Tianjin Viaduct (113.7 km) and the Bridge over the Wei (79.732 km) - two to three times longer than the largest comparable structures in other countries.

The longest girder bridge is the Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau route. The second longest girder bridge - Qingdao Bridge - is also located in China.

The 54 km long Bang Na highway in Bangkok, which opened in 2000, remains the longest bridge-type onshore structure.

The largest plane in the world

Air giants make the dreams of many travelers go to new countries and even to other continents.

Frequent international passengers have a chance to see the largest serial airliner Airbus The A380, which is operated by several leading airlines. The wingspan of the liner is 79.75 meters, length - 72.75 meters, width - 24.08 meters. The capacity of this double deck passenger aircraft- 853 passengers or 525 passengers in a three-class configuration.

The status of the largest and heaviest airplane in the world is retained by the only copy of the An-225 Mriya, commissioned in 1988. The board is used for cargo transportation and has already managed to break over a hundred records, including transporting the heaviest mono-cargo in the history of aviation, weighing 187.6 tons, while the maximum carrying capacity reached by it was much more - 253.8 tons.

The largest ship in the world

The infamous "Titanic", which amazed the whole world at the beginning of the 20th century with its size, today can hardly compare with the new cruise ships... The Titanic, launched in 1912, was 269.1 meters long and 28.19 meters wide. At that time, these figures were record high.

Currently, the leader in the size race of the cruise giants is the Harmony of the Seas with a length of 362 meters and a passenger capacity of 5,479 / 6,500, which was commissioned relatively recently - in the summer of 2015. It is noteworthy that the Harmony of the Seas is the third ship of the Oasis class and is only two meters longer than its predecessors - the twin liners Oasis of the Seas in 2008 and Allure of the Seas in 2010.

The largest floating facility currently under construction, but already launched, is the Korean floating liquefied natural gas plant Prelude FLNG. The ship-factory with a length of 488 meters in its appearance resembles other smaller-scale industrial ships.

The fastest train in the world

A new world record for the speed of a train was reached relatively recently - in April 2015. Japanese L0 Series maglev train (maglev train) reached high speed railroad Shinkansen speeds of 603 km / h.

Since 2007, the French TGV POS train has held the leading position among rail trains with a speed of 574.8 km / h. Now trains of this series serve regular referrals in France and Europe, not exceeding the design speed - 320 km / h.

In continuous operation, the Shanghai Maglev train maintains the highest speed - 430 km / h, but only on a number of flights (on others - 300 km / h) and at a distance of 30 km.

The largest metro in the world

When comparing the largest metros in the world, it is customary to single out several records: this is the deepest and longest metro, the subways are leaders in the number of stations and the number of passengers per year.

The longest metro (in terms of the total length of completed lines) is Shanghai, the total length of the underground transport network is 588 km, and this is not the limit - the expansion of the subway is planned in stages for several decades in advance.

Most stations and routes are in the New York subway. This subway includes 472 stations (or 425 unique interchange hubs) on 36 lines.

The busiest subway (in terms of maximum daily load) is in Beijing, its daily load is an average of 9.998 million people, the peak is more than 12.69 million people, the annual figure is 3,660 million passengers. At the same time, the consistently expanding network of the Beijing Metro maintains its position as the second longest - 574 km.

The next in terms of daily load is the Moscow Metro: by the end of 2015, the traffic volume reached 2,384.5 million people per year or 6.533 million per day, the peak load was recorded on December 9, 2014 - 9.5 million people.

The undisputed leader in terms of annual passenger traffic is the Tokyo Metro (3334 million). And Seoul ranks third and is behind Beijing - according to the latest official data, it serves 2,619 million people annually.

The depth record belongs to the Arsenalnaya station of the Kiev metro: it was laid 105.5 meters underground. Sometimes there are attempts to "calculate" the deepest metro in the world by the average indicator of the laying of all its stations, but the unequivocal champion in this indicator has not yet been precisely determined.

The longest car in the world

The car recorded in the Guinness Book was assembled according to the project of Jay Orberg, a Hollywood collector, designer and creator of unique cars. It was this 100-foot (about 30.5 meters) limousine that brought Orberg worldwide fame.

The car is set on 26 wheels and inside can hardly resemble the interior of a classic car. It has a swimming pool with a diving board and a double water bed; in addition, there are about a dozen sleeping places, satellite TV, sunbathing area and other amenities. A second driver's cab is provided for safe control of this essentially exhibition model.

The fastest car in the world

The land speed record set in 1997 is astounding: it is the world's first officially confirmed sound barrier break. Briton Andy Green reached a speed of 1227.985 km / h in a Thrust SSC with turbofan engines. Velocity measurements were taken in the Black Rock Desert, USA.

The Guinness Book of Records stipulates that a Budweiser Rocket Car in 1979 at the American Edwards airbase claims to be the first to break the sound barrier, but this experience was not officially sanctioned by the USAF, and its results were never counted.

The fastest production car is the Hennessey Venom GT. The acceleration record - up to 300 km / h in 13.63 seconds was set on this car on January 21, 2013. In addition, the car showed the best result for an average acceleration of up to 200 mph, its indicator was 14.51 seconds. The maximum speed reached by this car is 435.31 km / h.

And also to emerge anomalous creatures, which can not be found anywhere else on Earth.
Some lakes are the sites of catastrophic events in history, such as or, while others store or unique geological layers.
We present to the readers' attention 13 of the most amazing lakes on our planet.

Boiling lake

The Boiling Lake on the island of Dominica is the second largest in the world, although you would hardly want to dive into its waters.
Along the coast, the water temperature rises to 80-90 degrees Celsius, while the central part is too hot to get close and take measurements. The lake is almost completely closed by clouds of steam, and its grayish water is constantly boiling.
Laguna colorado

The water of this eerie lake in Bolivia is blood red, and its surface is covered with strange islands from sodium tetraborate - the same substance that is included in many detergents.
The color of the lake is associated with the colored sediments and the large number of red algae that thrive in the area. They often walk in the waters of this lake, in sharp contrast to this
Plitvice Lakes

These striking lakes in Croatia are truly unique and the eponymous national park is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
In fact, this is a complex of 16 lakes, all of them are interconnected by a series of waterfalls and caves. Each lake is separated from the rest by slender natural travertine dams - an unusual shape that slowly forms from local lichens, algae and bacteria. Travertine dams are growing at a rate of 1 centimeter per year, which makes the lakes extremely vulnerable.
Lake Nyos

This lake in Cameroon is one of the few exploding lakes known in the world. Directly below it is a magma cavity that fills Nyos with carbon dioxide and turns its water into carbonic acid.
Recently, in 1986, the lake produced a huge, suffocating 1,700 people and 3,500 head of livestock from nearby villages. This was the largest case of asphyxiation due to natural phenomena.
There is a danger that this could happen in one of the three exploding lakes in the world. In fact, it is Nyos that may turn out to be the most likely place for a repeated disaster, since the natural channel along which the lake flows is fragile and vulnerable to cracks.
Aral Sea

The Aral Sea, which was once one of the largest lakes in the world, is now an almost completely dried up desert. On its territory, you can see the rusted skeletons of ships that once roamed the vastness of this reservoir, emphasizing its scale.
Since 1960, the lake has been steadily decreasing in size, primarily due to irrigation projects in the former Soviet Union, which changed the river beds that fed the lake.
Today the square The aral sea only 10 percent of the previous size. The region's fisheries and ecosystems have been devastated, and the tragedy has been described as one of the planet's worst environmental disasters.
Peach Lake

A gloomy lake on the island of Trinidad is the world's largest natural source of bitumen. The lake covers an area of ​​more than 40 hectares, its depth is up to 75 meters, and it is even inhabited by seemingly extraterrestrial, extremophilic organisms.
Locals claim that the waters of this lake have mystical medicinal properties for everyone who bathes in it, although such claims are not proven. Interestingly, bitumen from Peach Lake has been used to cover some streets in New York City.
Lake Don Juan

Hyperhaline Lake, discovered in 1961 in Antarctica, is the saltiest body of water on the planet.
It has a salt content of over 40 percent and is so high that Don Juan Lake never freezes, even though it is near the icy South Pole.
Dead Sea

The deepest hyperhaline lake in the world is too salty for living creatures to live in, which is why the reservoir got its name.
The surface of the lake is 415 meters below sea level, which makes it the lowest on Earth. Due to the salt level in the Dead Sea, it is very difficult to swim, but it is extraordinarily pleasant to drift.
In the middle of the 20th century, in caves along Dead sea located in Israel, ancient biblical scrolls were discovered. In part, they have survived due to the unique climate of these places. The Dead Sea also borders the state of Jordan.
Lake Taal

Lake Taal, located in island nation The Philippines deserves special attention, since in its center there is an island called the Volcano.
Since in the crater of Volcano Island there is also no big lake, this whole complex is known as the largest lake in the world on the island, which, in turn, is also located in the lake on the island. The tongue twister doesn't end there: there is also a small island called Volcano Point in the crater lake of Volcano Island. Got it?
Lake Balkhash

Lake Balkhash, located in Kazakhstan, is the 12th largest lake in the world, but in fact it is not this feature that makes it unique. This lake is surprising in that half of it is fresh water, while the other half is salt.
In part, Balkhash maintains this balance due to the fact that its two halves are connected by a narrow piece of land 3.5 kilometers wide and 6 meters deep.
There are fears that Balkhash may dry up, like the Aral Sea, since at present the channels of many of the sources feeding it are changing.
Tonle Sap

Cambodia's unique Tonle Sap ecosystem is difficult to classify as a lake or a river.
During the dry season, the Tonle Sap water flows into the Mekong River, but during the monsoon the water flow is so intense that it literally carries it back from this river, resulting in the formation of the largest freshwater lake in South-East Asia... It is especially different in that its course changes in the opposite direction twice a year.
These unusual conditions make the region a true treasure trove in plan and has been named a Biosphere by UNESCO.
Crater lake

After a large-scale eruption of Mount Mazama in the center of the American state of Oregon 7,700 years ago, a huge caldera remained about 600 meters deep into the mountain. Despite the complete absence of supply sources, the crater of Mount Mazama was gradually, over millennia, filled with just sediments.
Today it is the second deepest lake in North America, and its waters are virtually the clearest, cleanest and least polluted in the entire world.
Lake Baikal

The huge body of water in Russia is really unusual. This is the oldest and deepest lake in the world, in addition, it is the second largest on the planet and contains almost the purest water. It has remained filled by unknown means for 25 million years, and at this time the lake contains 20 percent of the entire Earth.
Two-thirds of the 1,700 species that call Baikal their home are nowhere else in the world. It is not surprising that in 1996 the region was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Many are interested in the question - which lake is the deepest in the world? Baikal Is the deepest lake in the world. It is located in the southeastern part of Russia and occupies a vast territory in the central part of the Asian continent. Due to its greatness, the deepest lake in the world, Baikal, has several more beautiful names. The body of water is called a deep or clear eye, a sacred lake, a mighty sea. Locals usually call it the Baikal Sea.
This lake contains the largest reserves of fresh water on the planet, which have a unique composition. The water is not only pure and transparent, it can be compared with distilled water in terms of the content of mineral salts.
In area, the deepest lake in the world, Baikal, is almost equal to Holland. There are several dozen islands on it. Its length is 635 km, the largest width in the center is 80 km, and the narrowest part is in the Selenga region and is 27 km. The lake is located relative to sea level at an altitude of more than 450 km, and the length of its coast is about 2000 km. More than half of this coastal area is protected by the state.
More than 300 rivers fill the deepest lake in the world, Baikal, with their waters, at least half of this volume falls on the Selenga River, and only the Angara flows out of it. Lake Baikal is surrounded by mountain ranges and numerous hills. The west coast is more rocky and steep than the east.

Some tourists are actively interested in where is the deepest lake in the world? These places are famous for their picturesque landscapes and a unique variety of fauna, which makes them interesting for tourists. The region has the status of a protected area of ​​global importance. In terms of the number of rare plants growing only in these parts, it surpasses even the flora of Madagascar and the Galapogos Islands. There are numerous resorts here. The best time to visit the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal, is considered the period from late April to late October. In the summer months, tourists can make various excursions and hikes, fish, dive, hunt, relax on the beach, and winter time popular are downhill skiing, ice fishing and ice-boating.
You can get to these places by plane or train. There are direct flights to Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk. The journey there from Moscow by plane will take 6 hours, and the train will take about 4 days. Now you know where the deepest lake in the world is.

The question of the origin of Lake Baikal has been hotly debated in the scientific world for a long time and creates the basis for a variety of, sometimes fantastic, guesses and hypotheses. How was this lake with crystal clear water formed, surrounded by picturesque mountains and unique nature?
The Buryat legend tells of the Great Fire that engulfed the earth and contributed to the origin of Lake Baikal. The sea emerged from the resulting void. The legend did not find scientific confirmation and for a long time scientists have investigated this problem.
In the distant eighteenth century, the Germans Palass and Georgi formulated a scientifically based assumption on this topic. They took part in the Siberian expedition, which was organized by the St. Petersburg Academy around 1970. Scientists argued that the origin of Lake Baikal was caused by the failure of the land, caused by a natural cataclysm. Most likely it was an earthquake. They believed that before the events described there was big river flowing into the Yenisei. It took into its bed all the waters that today flow into Lake Baikal. A century later, the Pole Yanchevsky proposed his hypothesis, basing it on data obtained during a trip to the Baikal region. He believed that this reservoir was formed due to a natural disaster, after which the earth's crust began to slowly shrink.
There were many scientists who proposed their theories, but often they echoed each other and their guesses about the origin of Lake Baikal differed only in details. Vladimir Obruchev came closest to the modern understanding of the process that resulted in the formation of the Baikal Basin. He suggested that it all began after the formation of the mountain system of Siberia. The depression was formed after the subsidence of a large area of ​​land on both sides of the fault.
In the second half of the 20th century, thanks to scientific advances, scientists made significant progress in the study of this problem. The global fault system or the world rift theory, discovered at that time, brought some clarity. According to this discovery, Baikal arose as a result of planetary-scale processes and that there are several similar formations on the earth's surface. Tanganyika and the Red Sea are some of them.
At the end of the 20th century, scientists from many countries were engaged in this problem. The Lake Baikal basin is considered one of the central links of the Baikal rift. It stretches for more than 2.5 thousand km and is located on the very border of the Eurasian and Indonesian-Australian lithospheric plates. At first, it was believed that the rift appeared due to a collision of plates, but after a detailed study of new data, it was found that the reason for everything was anomalous heating of the mantle.
The lava floating up and spreading in different directions formed massifs of mountain ranges that surround the lake. This spreading over a plane heated to very high temperatures of magma and caused the appearance of large faults. As a result, this was the reason for the emergence of a depression, which later became Lake Baikal.
As new knowledge appeared and geophysical methods developed, interesting details and scientifically confirmed chronological sequence of the formation of this unique lake appeared.

In addition to numerous large and small streams, almost 300 rivers and streams flow into it. In addition to the three navigable rivers, the Verkhnyaya Angara, Barguzin and Selenga, there are several more that stand out for their size: Turka, Snezhnaya, Barguzin, Buguldeika. And only the only Angara carries its waters to the north-west, flowing out of the mighty lake.

It alone takes all the power of its waters near Lake Baikal and carries them through the center of Russia for hundreds of kilometers. Its width at the source is about 2 km. There is a giant rock in this place, called the Shaman-stone by the locals. As the legend says, this lump was thrown by the Baikal-father into the daughter running away from him. She decided to dash off to the handsome Yenisei, although her father wanted to marry her to a hero named Irkut.
Angara, like other rivers of Lake Baikal, is a beautiful and clean river. Its length is about 1800 kilometers.

The Selenga, like the river of Lake Baikal, is the largest of all the rivers that flow into the lake. The source of the river is in Mongolia, then it flows through Russian land, completing its journey by dividing in the delta of the lake itself. It carries to Baikal almost half of all the water entering it.

The Upper Angara is a fast mountain river with many rapids. Even when it is on the plain, it continues to wriggle and separate, so that later it will unite in a single channel. Near Baikal, like other rivers of Lake Baikal, it pacifies its waters and becomes calmer.

Another river of Lake Baikal, flows in Buryatia, going down the mountain ridge, after which it carries its restless waters along rocky rapids. In the upper reaches there is a large nature reserve. It passes through taiga valleys, a gorge and a mountain range.
This place is very attractive for fans of rafting on the mountain rapids. The sections intended for this do not even have a minimum category of complexity, which means that they can be passed without much risk to life. Although the river also has sections with dangerous bottom, sharp rocks and waterfalls.
The deepest lake is an amazing, mysterious and not fully explored miracle of nature. It is fed by the same unique rivers, which carry their waters along the most beautiful edges and protected places, preserving their pristine nature. Every effort must be made to preserve this rich supply of crystal clear water and its rare ecosystem.

There are many unusual territories on earth that combine several features that distinguish them from other places. Baikal is one of such regions. This is the cleanest lake in Russia, with perfectly clear water, which practically does not contain mineral impurities. And it also has a tremendous depth - the largest among all the lakes in the world.
Thanks to the special geographic characteristics, this corner of nature attracts the attention of people from all over the world. The maximum recorded depth of the lake is 1640 meters away... With this indicator, Baikal is ahead of all lakes in the world. Tanganyika, next after the Russian leader, is inferior to him very much. Its deepest mark does not exceed 160 meters. In combination with the huge area of ​​Baikal, which is equal to Holland, these gigantic proportions are simply impossible to imagine.
One of the reasons for such a great depth of Lake Baikal and its area is the presence of many rivers that flow into it. The approximate number of tributaries is about 300. With such a significant replenishment, Baikal continues in only one river - the Angara. It should be noted that the reservoir is considered the largest natural reservoir on the planet, with perfectly clean fresh water. In terms of these parameters, even the Great Lakes in North America taken together cannot be compared with it. Its waters reach a volume of 23,600 m3.
The very deep depth of Lake Baikal, combined with the impressive area of ​​this lake, explains the fact that the locals call it the sea. This ancient body of water on the Earth's surface appeared as a result of complex processes taking place in the earth's crust. Approximately 25 million years have passed since its formation began. It continues now. Scientists believe that Baikal may become the beginning of the emergence of a new ocean, which should appear, of course, not tomorrow, but its emergence in the future is recognized by the scientific world as a proven fact.
Due to the maximum depth of Lake Baikal and the high level of the coastline, which is 455 meters larger than the ocean surface, the basin of the reservoir is deservedly defined as the most deep depression on the ground.

Lake Baikal water is unusually clean and transparent. With the help of the Secchi disk, a test was carried out, according to which the transparency of the lake was 40 meters, and, for example, in the Caspian Sea, there is not even 25 meters. The Alpine reservoirs, known for their purity, are inferior to Baikal in these parameters. The transparency of the reservoir may vary depending on several factors. The estuary and shallow waters give way to areas of great depth. Seasonal changes in the vital activity of microflora also affect.
Lake Baikal water meets all the criteria for high-quality drinking water. Its purity and unique properties are due to the influence of microorganisms and vegetation. Small crustaceans Epishura, living in the lake in huge numbers, act as a biofilter. An armada of such crustaceans is capable of cleaning the upper layers 3-4 times a year. There are almost no organic impurities and solutes in the reservoir.
The mineral composition of the water is very poor, does not even reach 100 mg / liter, and includes silicon, calcium and magnesium. Other bodies of water have a concentration of similar substances starting from 400 mg / liter. There is no hydrogen sulfide in Lake Baikal, but oxygen is present in large quantities both in the upper layers and at the very depth. Its water is of excellent quality. It is only surpassed in purity by water from Crater Lake in the United States, which is considered the natural counterpart of distillate.
Nowadays, in the world, only Baikal is an open reservoir, with water suitable for consumption, which does not require additional processing. The ideal water of Lake Baikal is bottled now on an industrial scale. It is sampled at a depth of about 410 meters. Top layers protect it from any surface contamination.
The temperature in the lake is peculiar. It is influenced not only by climatic conditions, but also by the abnormal depth of the lake. The highest water temperature is 15 degrees. Temperature decreases with increasing depth. At 25 meters, it is only 10 degrees, and at a depth of 250 meters and below, the temperature is 3 - 5 degrees. Shallow water sometimes has time to warm up to 24 degrees.

Lake Baikal and the adjacent territories are one of the most unique and rich in natural treasures in the region. There are reserves, reserves, National parks and protected natural monuments. Together, there are about two hundred such territories. Almost the entire Baikal Territory is under state protection. Only in a few industrially developed regions: Baikalsk, Slyudyanka, Severobaikalsk, Kultuk and Babushkin, due to the developed industrial complex, there are no serious restrictions on the operation of local enterprises.
Protection of Lake Baikal is carried out not only in the Russian Federation, since these territories are considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Russia, there is Federal Law No. 94 FZ, “On the Protection of Lake Baikal”. He determined the status protected areas, the regime of protection, the possibility of using the natural resources of the region. Since part of the unique territory around Lake Baikal is part of China and Mongolia, there is a problem with organizing the protection of the entire complex, due to the difficulties associated with the need to coordinate actions with foreign partners. The disunity of environmental services and bodies that supervise this area also negatively affects.
The main thing that needs to be done to protect Lake Baikal is to preserve the unique natural complex in its pristine purity, which is practically not found in the world. There are places of amazing beauty to be preserved with unique climatic, geological, biosphere and other conditions in which wildlife can exist. Some areas will have to remain free of many species economic activity due to their remoteness from civilization. They are located in hard-to-reach areas where transport links are often unavailable. Law enforcement and the ranger service should provide assistance to protect the environment and prevent hunting for rare animals and birds, illegal fishing and destruction of plants.

The uniqueness of Lake Baikal lies in its record depth, unusual geographical position, perfect water purity and, of course, in its vast territory. The lake is located in Russia, in the east of Siberia and is the natural border of two regions of the Russian Federation. With a maximum depth of 1640 m, the area of ​​Lake Baikal is 31 thousand km 2... It exceeds the size of the territories of such states as Holland or Belgium. In the world ranking of the most extensive lakes, it is in 6th place.
The area of ​​Lake Baikal in the center of Asia is 365 km long and no less than 80 km wide. This entire area is surrounded by rows of mountain ranges and is located in a wide basin. It could fit waters from 92 seas, such as the Azov. It contains almost 20% of the world's fresh water supply.
There are numerous hills among the coastal areas. In the west, the coast is rocky and steep, and on the east coast the relief is not so steep. In some places, mountain ranges are located tens of kilometers from the coast.
Baikal did not suffer the fate of other ancient lakes, and it did not turn into a swamp. On the contrary, every year its area only increases, and scientists predict that the area of ​​Lake Baikal will expand to gigantic proportions and become a new ocean.

The nature of Lake Baikal is amazing and unusual. Such a variety of animals and flora on the planet nowhere. The rarest specimens of flora and fauna are found in these parts.

Vegetable world

There are few places on earth that can cause as much surprise and delight in a botanist as the Baikal region. Currently, science identifies about 1 thousand different types of plants that grow in the vicinity of this wonderful lake. Most of them are endemic. This means that they grow only in these parts. Diverse natural conditions and the multimillion-dollar history of these territories has preserved the local ecosystem in its original form. They determined the appearance of this magnificent nature reserve, where many relict plants are preserved, which have long disappeared in other parts of our planet.
Pines, spruces, firs and cedars - traditional Siberian trees - are located along the shores, and only the southern shore of the lake is decorated with blue spruces. The origin of this species is still a mystery. Olkhon Island is located in the middle of Lake Baikal and has relict thickets. Basically, this is a spruce forest, which has retained its original appearance since the Paleolithic. In the west of the lake there is a tundra steppe, with relict plants that have survived since the end of the Ice Age. The combination of special tundra plants with steppe species is not found anywhere else on the planet.
The nature of Lake Baikal pleases with a bright green carpet of herbs and flowers covered with forest slopes, where you can often find in abundance rare berries and fragrant wild rosemary.

Animal world

Scientists believe that the fauna of the deepest lake is ancient, and consists of a large number of different animals, including very rare ones. More than 2.5 thousand species of animals live here, more than half of which are endemic. First of all, it is worth noting the microscopic crustaceans called Epishura endemic, which are a biological filter. Their presence is one of the main factors affecting the crystal clearness of the lake water.
The deepest lake is home to 54 species of fish, and 15 of them are considered commercial. The most famous of them is omul. He lives for about 25 years. It should be noted an amazing, almost transparent fish called golomyanka. She gives birth to live larvae. Not a single fish in the world reproduces in this way.
The seal lives here - the only seal that lives in fresh water reservoirs. There are also many sturgeons, pikes, whitefish, taimen in the lake.
A wide variety of animals and birds are found in forest areas and on the hills of the Baikal region. A large number of marals, martens, and sables live in the forests. Sheep are found in the mountainous areas, and marmots and ground squirrels are found in the steppes. A huge number of ducks live in these parts. Gulls and cormorants nest here. Geese, herons, swans, and loons are less common. There are 7 species of eagles here.
The nature of Lake Baikal is diverse and unique. Every effort must be made to preserve this rare land for posterity.

Some are interested in the question of which lake is the largest in the world. And oddly enough, this, despite its name, is the largest lake in the whole world. This body of water separates the land of Europe and Asia.

What is special about it?

The lake does not have any current, but at the same time it is usually called the sea. The presence of the second name of the reservoir is due to the following factors:

• dimensions
• depth
• features of the bed

After the formation of the largest lake in the world, numerous studies were carried out, thanks to which it was possible to find out the basic information and understand what a body of water is, what important differences it has.
The Caspian Sea is a lake, the shape of which resembles the Latin letter S. The surface area of ​​the reservoir is 371 thousand square meters, the width is four hundred and fifteen thousand square meters. Such dimensions lead to the fact that many countries border on the Caspian Sea.
An important advantage of the reservoir is an amazingly rich underwater world, and many of its inhabitants have acquired resistance to constant changes in the reservoir.
The reservoir includes several bays. At the same time, the largest is Kara-Bogaz-Gol (the separation took place in 1980 with the help of a deep dam, and four years after an important event, the result was fixed by a culvert).
In addition, the lake includes the following large bays:

• Komsomolets
• Turkmen
• Mangyshlak
• Kazakh
• Krasnovodsk
• Agrakhansky
• Kizlyarsky

The water area of ​​the Caspian includes 50 islands of different sizes. Moreover, some islands have an area of ​​more than 350 square meters. Some are united into island archipelagos, known as Apsheron and Baku.
The Caspian Sea appeared due to oceanic processes. This is proved by the features of the bed, which consists of the earth's crust of the oceanic type. At the same time, the process of creation dates back to distant times, because the age of the lake is already 13,000,000 years. It was then that the Alps mountains appeared, which separated the Sarmatian and Mediterranean seas from each other. The Akchagyl Sea existed for a long period. But after that, numerous transformations of the reservoir began:
1. The Pontic Sea dried up, as a result of which only Balakhan Lake (the southern part of the Caspian Sea) remained;
2. The Akchagyl Sea turned into the Apsheron Sea;
The main changes associated with the reservoir took place approximately 17,000 - 13,100 years ago. At the same time, the changes were due to transgression.
Now, after numerous transformations, there is the Caspian Sea, which is actually a lake.
Such changes have led to the need for a thorough study of the region. As it turned out, the south coast includes numerous caves. At the same time, scientists note that people lived in these parts about 75,000 years ago.
The first mentions of the reservoir and the Massageta tribe that inhabited the region can be found in Herodotus. At the same time, it was established that other tribes also lived in the region: Saki, Talysh.
Handwritten documents indicate that the Russians have been sailing to the Caspian Sea since the 9th-10th centuries. The presence of such official information indicates that the lake has attracted increased attention from the very beginning.

Is the largest lake on planet Earth. A distinctive feature of the reservoir is the instability of the hydrological regime, which is due to specific influences:

• climatic
• geological
• hydrological

On the territory of the Caspian basin, special processes take place that gradually change the lake. Scientists note that the water balance changes quite often, and changes occur at different periods of time (tens, hundreds, thousands of years).
The changes include:

• level with maximum value
• temperature regime

At the same time, researchers describe the current state of the Caspian Sea, allowing the inhabitants of the planet to understand how the largest lake in the world differs from many other bodies of water.

Water temperature

The temperature regime fluctuates in the following ranges:

• Winter. In the southern part - +10 - +13 degrees Celsius, in the northern part - below 0 degrees Celsius
• Summer. In this season, the temperature can rise to +25 - +28 degrees Celsius

At depth, the water temperature is about +5 degrees Celsius.
In fact, the water temperature undergoes significant latitudinal changes, which are primarily manifested in the cold season. The difference is about +10 degrees, which is a significant indicator. In fact, these indicators do not become prohibitive: shallow areas, where the depth is less than 25 meters, the annual difference can even reach twenty-five degrees Celsius.
At the same time, the average indicators of the difference can be noted:
West Coast usually a couple of Celsius warmer than the east;
The open and closed parts also differ in their temperature regime. At the same time, external influences lead to warming up to four degrees Celsius.
The researchers note that over time, the temperature regime of the reservoir can change.

Features of the climate of the Caspian Sea basin

The climate of the region, in which the Caspian Sea is located, captures 3 directions at once, which causes a significant difference in the temperature regime in different times of the year.
In winter, the air temperature varies from minus 8 degrees Celsius in the north to plus 10 degrees Celsius in the south. Thus, the maximum difference can be up to 22 degrees.
At the same time, in summer, the temperature ranges from +24 to +27 degrees Celsius, as a result of which a difference of a couple of dozen is excluded. In the entire history of observations, the maximum air temperature was +44 degrees, and this important event took place on the east coast.
On average, 200 millimeters of precipitation falls annually, but the indicators for different parts of the region vary significantly:
East End always characterized by dry weather. As a result, the indicator does not exceed millimeters;
The southwest region boasts 1,700 millimeters.
It should be noted that water can evaporate quite actively from the surface of the lake. This has a positive effect on the climate of the region. Successful evaporation of the water guarantees correct water circulation, as a result of which large fluctuations in humidity levels are avoided.
The average annual wind speed in the region ranges from three to seven meters per second. In this case, the northern direction is predominant. It should be noted that in the cold months of the year, wind gusts sometimes reach forty meters per second.
The most windy areas are traditionally considered:

• Absheron peninsula
• Makhachkala
• Derbent

It is in this territory that the highest indicators of windiness can be recorded. The peculiarities of the region's climate are largely determined by the influence of the Caspian Sea.

Currents

The North Caspian plays the most important role in shaping the climate of the region. In this case, the main direction of the flow occurs from the northern side of the reservoir.

Salinity of water

Salinity ranges from 0.3% (the lowest). This characteristic is recorded near the mouth of the Volga. The salinity index suggests that the North Caspian is a desalinated sea basin. At the same time, in the southeast, the salinity reaches 13%. The maximum rate is recorded in the Kara-Bogaz-Gol gulf, where it already reaches 300%.

The relief of the lake

The Caspian Sea has a specific bottom topography, which is divided into three types:
Shelf;
Continental slope;
Deep-sea depressions.
How were all the above types of relief distributed?
The shelf starts from coastline and stretches to a depth of 100 meters. At the same time, below its border, the continental slope begins, the depth of which, depending on the region of the lake, ranges from 500 to 750 meters;
The coast is characterized by low-lying relief. At the same time, the banks have canopies and indented places;
The Middle Caspian includes a mountainous coast, which practically does not have an indented shape;
The eastern part is elevated;
The South Caspian has mountainous areas. At the same time, the coastline is more indented.
The Caspian Sea and its relief belong to the zone of increased seismicity. It should be noted that in the region where the lake is located, mud volcanoes often erupt, located at the southern point of the reservoir.

The characteristics of the reservoir

Historians and scholars have shown that the area and volume of water can vary significantly. Both factors are severely influenced by fluctuations in water levels.
What examples can you give? For example, when a reservoir rises, it may account for up to 78 and a half thousand cubic kilometers. Moreover, in this case, the volume indicator reaches about 44% of all lake water reserves.
The maximum depth is 1025 meters. This indicator was recorded in the South Caspian depression. It should be noted that the Caspian Sea is the third deepest. The leader is Baikal with 1620 meters, and Tanganyika with 1435 meters. It is important to note that the northern part is a shallow section of the reservoir, because the maximum depth never exceeds twenty-five meters.

Fluctuation of water in a body of water

Historical research confirms that the water level in the lake can fluctuate significantly. At the same time, scientists and historians record the peculiarities of changes in the water level.
Throughout the history of the reservoir, frequent changes in its characteristics are noted. It should be noted that in the Middle Ages, the highest indicators were noted in relation to the height of the water. Despite this, the process is continuous, the tendency to a decrease and increase in the water level in the lake is constantly replacing each other, which indicates the circulation and maintenance of the water balance. Any fixed figure cannot be final.
Measurements have been carried out on a regular basis since 1837, with researchers using special instruments for regular checks. Scientists note that the tendency to decrease - rise in the total water level changed many times, and these changes occurred at different intervals.
Serious fluctuations are caused by a whole chain of factors, which are divided into the following areas. The researchers note that in the future, fluctuations in the water of the Caspian Sea should remain, but the safety of the reservoir is guaranteed.

Features of water balance cycles

Surface currents define complex cyclones that replace each other. Significant differences are noted in each part of the Caspian. It should be noted that the lake belongs to troubled water bodies. For example, changes in atmospheric pressure and direction, wind speed always lead to fluctuations in the water level. Changes in characteristics are most pronounced in the shallow part of the reservoir, because surges during stormy weather can even reach four meters.
The instability of the lake leads to the fact that the climatic picture is also subject to serious changes.
The water balance is always determined by the characteristics of the flow and atmospheric influences, the volume of evaporating liquid from the surface of the reservoir. At the same time, the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay belongs to the discharge part of the reservoir. The most important role is played by the Volga runoff, which belongs to the incoming part. The Volga runoff can reach about 80% of the river water inflow for the formation of the Caspian Sea.

Water composition

The Caspian Sea is distinguished by its closed structure and unique composition. At the same time, serious differences in proportions are noted for the waters of regions that are under the influence of continental runoff.
Constant fluctuations in water and changes in water balance prevent chloride levels from rising.
At the same time, it is planned to regularly increase the following components:

• Carbonates
• Calcium
• Sulphates

The above three components occupy important place in any river waters. The composition of water also changes under the influence of complex cyclical factors.

The largest lake is usually called the Caspian Sea, and many are interested in the question: where is the largest lake in the world? This body of water is located in the part of the world where Europe and Asia dock. Thus, the lake belongs to Eurasia.
The water area is divided into three large parts, which have the characteristics of the climatic region, the unique characteristics of the reservoir and its water balance:

• The North Caspian occupies 25% of the territory
• The Middle Caspian has 36%
• The South Caspian possesses 39% of the total established area

It is important to note that the body of water is characterized by severe fluctuations in depth. For example, the northern part accounts for up to 22 meters, and the southern part - up to 1025 meters. Moreover, the depth of less than one meter is recorded at 20% of the Northern Caspian. Despite such fluctuations, the Caspian still occupies the third position in the world in terms of depth.
The large size of the Caspian Sea determines that as many as five countries belonging to Eurasia are in contact with the lake along the borders:

• Russia
• Azerbaijan
• Kazakhstan
• Turkmenistan

This information proves that the lake actually occupies an important place on the world map.
Caspian basin
Four more states are included in the Caspian basin: Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Uzbekistan. Each country has a direct access to the Caspian Sea.
The basin includes more than one hundred and thirty rivers, with the Volga being the largest. It is the Volga River that connects the Caspian Sea and the World Ocean. The Volga and all its river tributaries are regulated by the existing reservoirs, which are formed by the dams of the hydroelectric power station.
The Caspian Basin also includes additional rivers that ensure the water balance of the world's largest lake is maintained. In this case, the most important is the Volga, which flows through the territory of Europe.
It should be noted that the eastern coast of the Caspian can no longer boast of a developed hydrographic network. The Emba and Ural rivers flow into the territory of Kazakhstan. There is one watercourse noted in Turkmenistan that is not permanent, but it still needs to be noted: the Atrek River. Iran is distinguished by the connection of the Caspian Sea and several rivers. Despite the fact that connections still exist in eastward, their total length turns out to be significantly less.

Cities of the Caspian Sea

The largest port city located on the Caspian Sea is the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. The city is located in the south of the Absheron Peninsula. It should be noted that in 2010, there were 2,500,000 people living in Baku.
The following large cities are also associated with the Caspian Sea:
Sumgait, Lankaran (Azerbaijan);
Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan);
Aktau, Atyrau (Kazakhstan);
Kaspiysk, Makhachkala, Astrakhan (Russia).
This geographical position, and, accordingly, the relationship with rivers, countries and cities, indicates that the Caspian Sea is in fact the largest lake in the world.
Features of the development of the Caspian Sea
The economic development of the Caspian Sea has been of interest to society since ancient times. Historical information testifies to this. Currently, people have managed to achieve good results.

Features of the story

For the first time, the study of the reservoir began in 285 BC. At the same time, the corresponding measures were carried out by the Greeks. After the first attempt, the work was postponed for a long time.
Nowadays, they began to try thanks to Peter the Great, who organized an expedition in 1714 for almost a whole year. Then, hydrographic studies were carried out in the 1720s with the help of Russian and foreign researchers.
At the beginning of the 19th century, there was already an opportunity for instrumental photography, thanks to which it was possible to thoroughly analyze the peculiarities of the geography of the reservoir and the region.
In 1866, 50 years of research began. The main objective was to enrich knowledge regarding hydrobiology and hydrology.
The most active research began in the late 1890s. At the same time, Soviet geologists made every effort to understand the features of fluctuations in the level of a reservoir, to study the water balance and find oil.
Numerous expeditions made it possible to start using the Caspian Sea for the benefit of the entire world society.

Development results

How can the Caspian Sea be used for the benefit of the people?
Gas and oil production. On the territory of the Caspian Sea, numerous deposits with a special purpose are being developed. To date, the resources of oil and gas condensate amount to about twenty billion tons, with oil accounting for half of this volume. Extraction of valuable minerals has been carried out since the 1820s, but it was possible to reach the industrial level only in the second half of the 19th century.
The Caspian shelf, which is included in the water basin, is used for the extraction of salt, stone, sand, clay, limestone.
The developed network allows the use of the Caspian Sea for shipping.
The lake has a rich water world... This is used for the active development of fishing. It should be noted that more than 90% of sturgeon fish can be caught in this region. By now, fishing and the extraction of valuable caviar have been successfully developed. At the same time, the seal fishery is also developing at a rapid pace.
Recreational resources are another advantage associated with the Caspian region. A special water composition and a unique balance, a beneficial climate make it possible to successfully develop a number of resorts, but at the same time, the economic, political and religious characteristics of the eastern states do not allow the use of the recreational resources of the Caspian region due to the unique characteristics of the sea-lake.
The Caspian Sea is the largest and most important lake in the world, which justifies its position and increased attention to itself.

TOP 10 deepest lakes in the world

If you did not yet know which lake is the deepest in the world and where the deepest lake in the world is, then you should familiarize yourself with the TOP-10. Baikal is a legendary lake. It is written about in various sources; travelers and researchers are extremely fond of the reservoir. Every year, amazing discoveries are made at Lake Baikal, they conduct expeditions, and do research. This lake holds an impressive number of different world records.
The deepest lake is considered one of the oldest on the planet, and it is also the deepest in the world. The average depth is 730 meters, and the maximum mark is 1637 meters. Since 1996, Baikal has been on the UNESCO list as a World Heritage Site.
There is still debate about the origin of the lake. Scientists have not come to a consensus regarding the age of the reservoir, which is estimated at about 25-35 million years. That is why Baikal is considered a unique reservoir, because others glacial lakes"Live" on average 10-15 thousand years, gradually swamping.
A distinctive feature of the deepest lake in the world is the fact that it contains about 19% of the world's fresh water reserves. This is an impressive amount, which is not found in any other body of water in the world. The transparency of the lake also attracts attention. Inhabitants or various objects can be seen at depths of up to 40 meters. At the same time, the water contains a minimum amount of mineral salts, on average reaching 100 mg per liter. All this makes it possible to use the water of Lake Baikal as distilled water.
In total, it has about 2630 species of both plant and animal inhabitants. Moreover, most of them are endemic. In other words, you can only find them here. The abundance of living organisms can be explained by the impressive oxygen content in the water column. Among all animals, golomyanka is distinguished. This fish contains less than 30% fat. The Epishura crustacean, of which there are over 300 species, also becomes an amazing inhabitant. Among mammals, it is worth highlighting the seal, which is called the Baikal seal.
It is interesting that the reserves of water in Lake Baikal are so impressive that they could provide all the inhabitants of the world for 40 long years. Scientists are still doing research Baikal ice, which is fraught with many mysteries. An extraordinary shape becomes a distinctive feature. It can be found exclusively on Lake Baikal. If you see the lake from space, you can see dark rings in the images. Their origin is not known at the moment, although scientists are making a lot of guesses. Answering the question which lake is the deepest in the world, there is no doubt that it is Baikal.

All the deepest lakes in the world are of interest, and Tanganyika is a special lake that has a personal status in Africa. Its location is known to locals throughout the continent. A distinctive feature of Lake Tanganyika is its amazing fauna and flora, as well as impressive dimensions. The waters of the lake are located in the East African Rift, which is a narrow valley with an impressive length. The crescent shape and proximity to the mountains make the area surprisingly picturesque.
Lake Tanganyika feeds the great Congo River. This is done across the Lukuga River. However, Tanganyika does not belong to the Congo Basin. The lake holds one of the world records as the longest freshwater body of water. Moreover, it is located above the sea at an altitude of 773 meters. The total length reaches 673 kilometers, and the width at the largest point is 72 kilometers. The depth of the reservoir is quite impressive and is 1470 meters, which makes the lake the second deepest in the world. On the territory of the entire reservoir, the average depth reaches 570 meters.
The volume of water in Lake Tanganyika is 18.9 thousand cubic meters, which also puts the lake in second place in the world ranking. The total area exceeds 32 thousand square kilometers. The coastline has an impressive length of 1,828 kilometers. The reservoir also includes streams and rivers. In general, Lake Tanganyika is often called the "African pearl", because it owns a huge number of world records.
It is surrounded from different sides by four countries at once. This is Zambia, Democratic Republic Congo, Burundi, Tanzania. Communication with Atlantic Ocean also available through the Congo and Lukuga rivers. Interestingly, Tanganyika is distinguished by an impressive age of 10-12 million years. For the entire impressive period of history, the lake has never dried up. As a result of this, an unusual underwater world was formed, which is not similar to any other corner of the planet.
There is no full water turnover in the lake, the reason is the impressive depth, as well as the absence of bottom currents. As a result, a high amount of hydrogen sulfide is concentrated in the lower layers of water. Already at a depth of 200 meters, the so-called "dead zone" begins. There is no life here due to the lack of oxygen. The water surface has an impressive variety of fish species. There are especially many cichlids here. They are present in the amount of 250 species, of which about 98% live exclusively in this lake.

When asked which lake is the largest in the world or where is the largest lake in the world, you will be somewhat surprised. The Caspian Sea is an unusual body of water with a non-standard name. In fact, this sea has no connection with the World Ocean, it is located at a considerable distance from it. To the north and east, the sea is bordered by a desert area, south coast represented by lowlands, and the western one - by the mountain ranges of the Greater Caucasus. On all sides, the reservoir is surrounded by land, therefore it is called the "sea-lake".
A distinctive feature is the different bottom topography. In the northern part, shallow water is observed, in the central and southern parts - depressions and an underwater sill. An interesting feature is the fact that the Caspian Sea is located in more than one climatic zone. The northern part of the sea is represented by a continental climate, the western is temperate, the eastern is desert, and the southwestern is subtropical humid.
This climatic feature leads to the fact that the sea behaves differently at different times of the year. In winter, strong winds and low temperatures prevail here, reaching a maximum of 8-10 degrees below zero in the air. In spring, north-westerly winds reign here. In summer, the air masses circulate insignificantly; near the coast, the wind can intensify. Summer temperatures can rise to a maximum of 27-28 degrees above zero. It can be concluded that winters in the Caspian Sea are cold and windy, while summers are windy and hot.
The volume of river flow differs significantly throughout the year. It reaches its maximum rates in spring, as well as at the beginning of summer. Spring floods may occur. Today, the water resources of the lake are actively used by people, reservoirs and hydroelectric power plants are being built. All this has led to the fact that the water level in the Caspian Sea has dropped somewhat today.
The main food of the lake is river. Among the rivers that flow into the Caspian Sea, the Ural, Volga and Terek are distinguished. It is these three rivers that bring about 90% of the river flow. About 9% of the rivers flow from the western side and only 1% from the rivers of the Iranian coast. There are also tidal waves in the lake, which are noticeable especially in November and December. It is during this period of time that the sea level can increase by an average of 2-3 meters. In summer, the sea level practically does not change.
An impressive number of fish species are found here. As a result, fishing and fishery are actively developing here. In particular, there are many sturgeon fish, and oil has recently been discovered in the Caspian Sea.

San Martin- a body of water located in the state of Santa Cruz in Argentina. San Martin, like other deepest lakes in the world, impresses with its impressive dimensions, which makes it one of the largest in the world. On the continent South America it is also the deepest. The lake covers an area between Chile and Argentina, located right on the border. Interestingly, the reservoir also has another name for its Argentine part. He was given a "name" in honor of José de San Martín, who is a national hero.
The area of ​​the reservoir reaches 1010 square meters, and the maximum depth is 836 meters. The shape of the lake is uneven and "ragged"; it is additionally represented by eight arms. The Mayer River becomes the main tributary, flows into Lake San Martin and the Chico, O'Higgins glaciers, and there are also small streams. Only one river Pasqua flows out of the reservoir.
Around the lake there are picturesque views of the pampas, and also amaze with snowy peaks. The area is rich in flora and fauna, in particular, there are many species of birds and animals. A huge number of trout live here, so sport fishing competitions are often organized. Lake San Martin is amazingly clear, the water in it can change its color from green to deep blue.
Nearby there is the town of El Chalten, which is called tourist center region. Everything here is arranged so that it is convenient for travelers to relax and explore the lake. The town has information centers, travel agencies, souvenir shops, and camping-style hotels. Additionally, there is an opportunity to choose a walking tour along the coast of San Martin. Also offered are boat trips, extreme trips to the snowy peaks of the nearby Andes mountains.
Are available on the shores of Lake San Martin and full-fledged attractions. These include the luxurious Nahuel Huapi estate. Lake guests can take time to explore the estate. For this, horseback riding tours are offered, which give incredible pleasure from the trip.
Lake San Martin reaches 1058 square kilometers. The reservoir is located above sea level, at an altitude of 250 meters. The coastline is quite impressive and reaches 525 kilometers in length. The lake is considered the deepest in America. Here you can always meet tourists and locals, photographers and artists who come here to admire the picturesque and magnificent views of the territory.

Nyasa is called one of the largest African reservoirs and the deepest lakes in the world. It is located in East Africa in the Great Rift Valley. The lake is 560 kilometers long and 80 kilometers wide. The depth is quite impressive and reaches 704 meters. This makes it possible to bring Lake Nyasa to the fifth place in the world ranking of the deepest bodies of water. The reservoir was discovered in 1616 by the Bucarro travelers from Portugal.
The name of the reservoir is fairly standard. It was selected in the Yao language, and in translation it means "lake". Nyasa is located on the territory of several countries at once - Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, occupying their borders. A distinctive feature is the coastal relief, which is represented by spatial beaches and steep shores. The plains from the northwestern part of Lake Nyasa, where the plains amaze with their picturesqueness, have special expanses.
In the same place the Songwe River flows into the lake. In addition, the reservoir feeds 14 rivers, among which Bua, Ruhuhu, Lilongwe, Rukuru are distinguished. The only river that flows out of the reservoir is the river with the sonorous name Shire. The water of Lake Nyasa has different temperatures, ranging from warm to cool. The lake impresses with its rich fauna, so fishing is actively practiced here. In total, it accounts for about 4% of Malawi's GDP. Nyasa is home to a huge number of different species of fish, as well as crocodiles, whooper eagles. All this emphasizes the originality of the lake. Crocodiles and whooper eagles hunt fish.
Lake Nyasa is a natural landmark that amazes with its picturesqueness and originality. This is precisely what attracts the attention of travelers from all over the world. The reservoir itself ranks third in Africa and is one of the five deepest in the world. Today, shipping is developed here, among the main ports are Karonga, Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkota Kota, Bandave, Mwai, Metangula.
Lake Nyasa basin is sparsely populated. Most of the people live near the southern coast of Nyasa. The western and northern coasts have a very sparse population with low economic activity. There is a hydroelectric power station on the outflowing river Shira. It becomes the main source of electricity. Very often, the country's energy sector suffers from the impermanence of the lake. The greatest deficiency was observed in 1997, when the level of the lake was at its lowest.

Kyrgyzstan- marvelous picturesque country, which is replete with luxurious grounds. Especially the Issyk-Kul lake attracts attention. This reservoir is considered one of the largest in the world. It is interesting that in terms of water transparency, this reservoir is in second position in the world ranking, second only to Lake Baikal. Issyk-Kul is considered the pearl of both Kyrgyzstan itself and Central Asia... The lake is salty and mild winters prevent the reservoir from freezing even in winter. A distinctive feature is the amazing surrounding beauty that attracts the attention of tourists from all over the world.
Issyk-Kul Lake is located in the Northern Tien Shan, occupying an area between two ridges. Their maximum height is 5200 meters. On their slopes on the north side there are spruce forests, and on the south - steppe vegetation. The lake is fed by rivers, of which there are about 80 rivers in total. Among the main ones are Zhuku, Zhyr-galan, Tyup, Ak-Terek, Tong and some others. Most of the rivers are fed by glaciers.
Interestingly, the appearance of the river looks unexpected from space. The astronauts themselves assert this. Along with the Great Chinese wall, and the pyramids of Cheops distinguish Lake Issyk-Kul. From space at such an impressive height, it resembles a human eye.
Not a single river flows out of the reservoir. This leads to the fact that the water in the river is salty, as mineral substances are collected. However, in terms of its salinity, the reservoir is significantly inferior to seawater, on average, five and a half times. However, the type of mineralization is considered to be quite valuable, which belongs to the chloride-sulfate-sodium-magnesium species.
The water is permeated with oxygen, which makes it light and transparent. It is unusually reminiscent of the ocean or sea. Many different legends are associated with this lake. One of them says that there are ruins at the bottom of the reservoir. the oldest city, which was distinguished by its beautiful appearance. The color of the water is unusual. It can change shades from pale blue to dark blue.
Issyk-Kul Lake has an impressive history. The first mention dates back to the chronicles of the second century BC. In them, the reservoir is called Zhe-Hai, which means "warm sea" in Chinese. Most likely this name was given due to the fact that the lake does not freeze. The scientific study of the flora and fauna of the reservoir, as well as the composition of the water, began in the 19th century. Many scientists were so interested in the nature of this place that they bequeathed to bury themselves on its coast.

The Big Slave Lake is an amazing reservoir that amazes with its spaciousness and picturesqueness. The name Slave has an unknown origin and most experts are inclined to believe that it was not given to him by chance. The reservoir itself is located in Canada and in its dimensions it can easily compete with the largest lakes in the world, including the Great American Lakes.
The depth of the large Slave Lake is about 614 meters. For the North American continent, this figure is considered the maximum. In the world ranking, the reservoir ranks seventh. Shipping is organized on Slave Lake in the summer, and under the ice in the winter. It is so strong that cars can easily drive on it. Until recently, the road on frozen ice was the only one, until a full-fledged highway was built.
Great Slave Lake is completely covered with ice for seven to eight months a year, from November to June. Interestingly, the lake itself appeared during a global cooling. It reminds of this time for most of the year. A distinctive feature is the picturesque nature of the surrounding area, which attracts the attention of tourists. The banks are decorated with dense tundra forests. The seething streams of water that can be seen between the rocks look spectacular.
Gold miners are usually attracted to the northern shores of water bodies. It will be interesting for adventure lovers who dream of learning about the education of the city of Yellowknife. It arose precisely during the gold rush. Before that, only Indians lived on the coast of the lake, namely, the Slavey tribe. It is interesting that the name of the tribe in translation into Russian means "slave" or "slave".
It was from this tribe that the name of the lake appeared, as most researchers believe. However, after lengthy studies of this fact, it was discovered that the slave tribe has nothing to do with slaves. Representatives of the tribe are brave, courageous and strong people. Today the tribe is about ten thousand people. They all live on the coast of this reservoir.
In length, the large Slave Lake reaches 480 kilometers, and the width of the reservoir reaches from 19 to 225 kilometers. Several rivers flow into the lake, in particular Slave, Snowdrift, Hay, Tolson, Yellowknife. Only one river flows out of the lake - this is Mackenzie. In terms of area, the reservoir reaches 28.5 thousand square kilometers with a volume of over 1500 cubic meters.

- one of the most amazing natural objects in the world. The formation of this reservoir occurred after the eruption of Mount Mazama volcano. It happened over seven thousand years ago. A distinctive feature of the lake is its deep blue hue and the incredible beauty of the surrounding landscape. This place is considered one of the most picturesque in the world. Not every lake evokes such a storm of emotions as Crater.
The depth of Crater Lake reaches 594 meters. This explains its rich dark blue hue. The cleanliness of the surrounding area and its environmental friendliness are also attractive. Here you can often meet tourists who come to admire the beauty. You can also see photographers and artists trying to capture the picturesque.
The history of the lake began about twelve thousand years ago. It was then that people began to live here for the first time, and they saw the eruption of the volcano. As a result, Crater Lake appeared. For a long time it was not known to Europeans. It was found for the first time by John Fremont, who led the expedition of 1843-1846. Gradually, they began to explore the lake, and a lake was found here. It has changed its name several times. The modern was consolidated only by 1869.
Many researchers wonder why the water came out at the top of the mountain. Most experts are inclined to believe that this has happened over the centuries. This happened gradually by filling the lake with snow and rain. The lake is a volcano bowl.
Interestingly, the lake has many different attractions. One of them is a ghost ship. It is an island that reaches 48 meters in height. It is formed from the lava of a volcano and resembles a ship in its silhouette. Another attraction is Halman Peak. This is a volcanic cone, which is more than 70 thousand years old. It was named so in honor of the explorer who first discovered this lake.
It is also worth highlighting the Island of the Sorcerer, located on the island. His name is given to him in honor of the wizard's hat, which he resembles with himself. It is extraordinarily beautiful and reaches 233 meters in height. The pinnacles are also distinguished by the peaked peaks, which were the result of volcanic gases and erosion. Crater Lake is now part of the park. Everything has been created here for the convenience of tourists, in order to provide them with a comfortable examination of the picturesque territory.

Lakes are extremely important for our planet, as they contain an impressive amount of fresh water. Lake Buenos Aires and Matano are called one of the most interesting and attracting attention. Matano is a lake located in Indonesia. In its country, it is an important source of fresh water. The lake is located in the south of the island of Sulawesi. The area of ​​the reservoir is impressive and reaches 164 square kilometers, and the depth is 590 meters.
A distinctive feature of Buenos Aires and Matano lakes is the crystal clear water. Those who have been here claim that you can easily see everything that happens at a depth of 20-25 meters. An interesting feature is the unique flora. It is here that an impressive number of fish are found, whose ancestors swam here several millennia ago.
The picturesque area around the lake also attracts. It is represented by mountains and tropical forests. For the convenience of tourists, beaches with white sand are organized here. Diving is also available on the lake. A huge number of divers gather here who dream of admiring the beauty of the underwater world. An extraordinary feature of Matano is the presence of two levels of the water column. The first has a high percentage of oxygen content, and the second has no sulfates, there is an excess of iron. Many scientists compare such a composition with the oceanic composition, which is quite atypical for lakes.
Lake Buenos Aires and Matano is located on the border of Chile and Argentina. It has the same depth as Matano, reaching 590 meters. The total area of ​​the reservoir is 1,850 square kilometers. The origin and nutrition of the lake is glacial, and it is located directly in the Patagonian Andes. In South America, Buenos Aires is considered the deepest body of water, and in the world ranking it occupies the ninth position.
The main feature is excellent ecology and crystal clear water. Also, Lake Buenos Aires and Matano, notable for the presence marble caves... They have amazingly beautiful view which attracts tourists from all over the world. The color of the water also looks interesting, which consists of shades of turquoise and emerald.
An impressive number of cities and towns are located near the lake. This is due to the excellent climate and scenic beauty of the territory. Excursions are often organized here so that tourists have the opportunity to admire the magnificent external appearance of the marble caves. You can only see the beauty in person, as photographs are not able to convey it.

- an amazing body of water that attracts attention. It has not yet been fully explored, so the official parameters have not been set. Today it is believed that the depth of the lake reaches 514 meters, but this is not an accurate indicator. However, it also allows Hornindalsvatnet to be the deepest lake both in Norway and throughout Europe. In the world ranking, the lake occupies the tenth position.
In the 90s of the 20th century, the Telenor company began to study the lake. It was previously the country's official telephone company. Telenor planned to lay the fiber optics directly along the bottom of Lake Hornindalsvatnet. At this moment, the depth of 612 meters was declared. If this indicator is officially confirmed, the lake will take the seventh position in the world ranking.
Lake Hornindalsvatnet has no other outstanding characteristics. Its water volume reaches 12 cubic meters with a total surface area of ​​50 square meters. These are quite modest dimensions even for Norway. In terms of the country, in terms of its volume and area, the lake occupies 19th place.
The location of the lake is of interest. It is located in the Norwegian province in the west of Norway. This is the Atlantic coast in Sogn aux Fjordane county. Hornindalsvatnet is located above the sea at an altitude of 53 meters, and Hornindal is located on its shore. It is the administrative center of the commune. The town is quite small and has only a few hotels.
Crystal clear water becomes a distinctive feature of the lake. Throughout Scandinavia, it is Lake Hornindalsvatnet that is considered the cleanest lake... This is explained by the fact that the water supply is not associated with rivers. The main source of food is glaciers. Here everyone can go fishing, because the fauna of the reservoir is really unique. You can find quite rare varieties of fish that are not found in other bodies of water in Norway. Moreover, their fishing is not prohibited.
The landscape is also remarkable, which is notable for its beauty and picturesqueness. Many consider this place to be the pearl of the country, so excursions are often organized here. Also, on the lake, every year in the middle of summer, a Marathon is held, in which an impressive number of people take part. This is an impressive race of 42 kilometers and 195 meters. If you wish, here you can just relax, swim and sunbathe on the beach. You can also try your hand at rowing, which is developed on Hornindalsvatnet.

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You can find whole volumes of information about Lake Baikal, both on the Internet and in various magazines and book publications. The lake has received attention from tourists, researchers and politicians. From year to year, stunning scientific discoveries are associated with Lake Baikal, expeditions are constantly equipped for thorough research. I decided to devote this topic to the most interesting facts and events related to Lake Baikal. I will try to save you from boring geographical terms, only the most interesting will be here. Most of the photos in the theme are clickable (open on click)

- one of the oldest lakes on the planet and the deepest lake in the world. Baikal is one of the ten largest lakes in the world. Its average depth is about 730 meters, the maximum is 1637 meters. In 1996, Baikal was included in the list World heritage UNESCO

Scientists disagree about the origin of Lake Baikal, as well as about its age. Scientists traditionally determine the age of the lake at 25-35 million years. This fact also makes Baikal a unique natural object, since most lakes, especially of glacial origin, live on average 10-15 thousand years, and then they are filled with silty sediments and swamp


There is also a version about the relative youth of Lake Baikal, put forward by Alexander Tatarinov, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences in 2009, which was indirectly confirmed during the second stage of the "Mirov" expedition to Lake Baikal. In particular, the activity of mud volcanoes at the bottom of Lake Baikal allows scientists to assume that the modern coastline of the lake is only 8 thousand years old, and the deep-water part is 150 thousand years old.

Baikal contains about 19% of the world's fresh water reserves. There is more water in Baikal than in all the five Great Lakes combined and 25 times more than, for example, in Lake Ladoga

The water in the lake is so transparent that individual stones and various objects can be seen at a depth of 40 m.The purest and most transparent water of Lake Baikal contains so little mineral salts (100 mg / l) that it can be used instead of distilled





Baikal is inhabited by 2,630 species and varieties of plants and animals, 2/3 of which are endemic, that is, they live only in this reservoir. Such an abundance of living organisms is explained by the high oxygen content in the entire thickness of the Baikal water.


Photo of Baikal from space

The most interesting in Lake Baikal is the viviparous fish golomyanka, whose body contains up to 30% fat. She surprises biologists with daily forage migrations from the depths to shallow waters.

The second, after the golomyanka, the miracle of Baikal, to which it owes its exceptional purity, is the Epishura crustacean (there are about 300 species). The Baikal Epischura is a copepod, 1 mm long, a representative of plankton, found throughout the depth (it is absent in bays where the water is warming up). Baikal would not be Baikal without this copepod, barely visible to the eye, surprisingly efficient and numerous, which manages to filter all Baikal water ten times in a year, or even more.

A typical marine mammal lives here - the seal, or the Baikal seal

Baikal's water reserves would be enough for 40 years for the inhabitants of the entire Earth, and at the same time 46 x 1015 people could quench their thirst

Baikal ice presents scientists with many mysteries. Thus, in the 1930s, specialists from the Baikal Limnological Station discovered unusual forms of ice cover, characteristic only of Baikal. For example, "hills" are cone-shaped ice hills up to 6 meters high, hollow inside. Outwardly, they resemble ice tents, "open" to the opposite side from the coast. Hills can be located separately, and sometimes form miniature "mountain ranges"

In satellite images, dark rings with a diameter of 5-7 km are clearly visible on the ice of Lake Baikal. The origin of the rings is not known. Scientists believe that rings on the ice of the lake may have appeared many times, but it was impossible to see them due to their enormous size. Now, with the use of the latest technologies, this has become possible, and scientists will begin to study this phenomenon. For the first time such rings were discovered in 1999, then in 2003, 2005. As you can see, rings are not formed every year. The rings are also not in the same place. Scientists are particularly interested in the reason for the displacement of the rings in 2008 to the southwest, compared with 1999, 2003 and 2005. In April 2009, such rings were discovered again, and again in a different location than last year. Scientists suggest that the rings are formed due to the release of natural gas from the bottom of Lake Baikal. However, the exact causes and mechanisms of the formation of dark rings on the ice of Lake Baikal have not yet been studied and no one knows their exact nature.

The Baikal region (the so-called Baikal rift zone) belongs to the territories with high seismicity: earthquakes regularly occur here, the strength of most of which is one or two points on the MSK-64 intensity scale. However, strong ones also happen, so in 1862, during the ten-point Kudarin earthquake in the northern part of the Selenga delta, a piece of land with an area of ​​200 km was submerged? with 6 uluses, in which 1,300 people lived, and the Proval Bay was formed

A unique deep-sea neutrino telescope NT-200, built in 1993-1998, was created and is operating on the lake, with the help of which high-energy neutrinos are detected. On its basis, a neutrino telescope NT-200 + with an increased effective volume is being created, the construction of which is expected to be completed no earlier than 2017.

The first dives of manned submersibles on Lake Baikal were made in 1977, when the bottom of the lake was explored on a Canadian-made Pysis deep-sea submersible. The depth of 1,410 meters was reached in Listvenichny Bay. In 1991, Paysis sank from the eastern side of Olkhon to a depth of 1,637 meters.

In the summer of 2008, the Foundation for Assistance to the Preservation of Lake Baikal conducted a research expedition “Mira” on Lake Baikal. ”52 submersions of deep-sea manned vehicles“ Mir ”were carried out to the bottom of Lake Baikal. Scientists delivered water samples to the P. P. Shirshov Research Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, soil and microorganisms raised from the bottom of Lake Baikal

In 1966, production began at the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill (BPPM), as a result of which the adjacent bottom areas of the lake began to degrade. Dust and gas emissions have a negative effect on the taiga around the BPPM, there is a dry top and drying out of the forest. In September 2008, a closed water circulation system was introduced at the plant, designed to reduce the discharge of rinsing water. According to the source, the system turned out to be inoperative and less than a month after its launch, the plant had to be shut down.

There are many legends associated with. The most fascinating of them is associated with the Angara River:
In the old days, mighty Baikal was cheerful and kind. He deeply loved his only daughter Angara. She was not more beautiful on earth. During the day it is light - lighter than the sky, at night it is dark - darker than a cloud. And whoever drove past the Angara, everyone admired her, everyone praised her. Even migratory birds: geese, swans, cranes - descended low, but rarely sat on the water of the Angara. They said: "Is it possible to blacken the light?"

Old man Baikal took care of his daughter more than his heart. Once, when Baikal fell asleep, Angara rushed to run to the young man Yenisei. Father woke up, splashed in angry waves. A fierce storm arose, mountains sobbed, forests fell, the sky turned black with grief, animals scattered all over the earth in fear, fish dived to the very bottom, birds flew to the sun. Only the wind howled, and the sea-hero raged. The mighty Baikal hit the gray mountain, broke off a rock from it and threw it after the fleeing daughter. The rock fell to the very throat of the beauty. The blue-eyed Angara pleaded, panting and sobbing, and began to ask:

Father, I am dying of thirst, forgive me and give me just one drop of water.

Baikal shouted angrily:

I can only give my tears!

For thousands of years, the Angara flows into the Yenisei as water-tears, and the gray-haired lonely Baikal has become gloomy and terrible. The rock that Baikal threw after its daughter was called by people the Shaman stone. Rich sacrifices were made to Baikal there. People said: "Baikal will get angry, it will tear off the Shaman stone, water will rush and flood the whole earth." Currently, the river is blocked by a dam, so only the top of the shaman's stone is visible from the water.

There is a legend among the people about the creation of Lake Baikal "The Lord looked: the earth came out unkind ... no matter how she took offense at him! And so that she would not hold offense, he took and threw out to her not some kind of bedding for her feet, but the very measure of his generosity, which measured how much to be from him. The measure fell and turned into Baikal. "