The largest freshwater lake in the world in terms of water reserve is Baikal. The largest freshwater lake in the world

There are about 5 million lakes in the world, but we have only heard of a few of the largest. Do you think Baikal is the most big lake in the world? In fact, Baikal occupies only the 7th line in the ranking of the largest lakes!

Did you know that the area of ​​the largest lake on the planet is equal to the area of ​​52 million football fields and is comparable to the area of ​​Moscow multiplied by 150 times? No? Then read below!

No. 10. Great Slave Lake - 28,930 square kilometers. North America.

The Great Slave Lake is the 10th largest lake in the world in terms of area, and it is also the most deep lake V North America. Its depth is 614 meters. The dimensions of the Great Slave Lake are 480 km long, 19-109 km wide, and the area is 28,930 square kilometers.

From October to June, the lake is covered with ice; in winter, the ice can withstand the weight of trucks. Rivers flowing into the lake: Hay, Slave, Snowdrift, etc. The Mackenzie River flows out of the lake. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.





No. 9. Lake Nyasa - 30,044 square kilometers. East Africa.

Lake Nyasa (Malawi) is the ninth largest lake in the world. Lake Nyasa fills a crack in the earth's crust in the Great Rift Valley V East Africa, located between Mozambique and Tanzania. The length of the lake is 560 km, the depth is 706 m. Nyasa contains 7% of the world's reserves of liquid fresh water.

Nyasa is known for its rich ecosystem, many of the species found in the lake are endemic. The origin of the lake is tectonic.





No. 8. big Bear Lake- 31,080 square kilometers. Canada.

The Great Bear Lake is located 200 km south of the Arctic Circle in Canada. The lake ranks eighth in area in the world and fourth in North America. The dimensions of the lake: length - 320 km, width - 175 km, maximum depth - 446 m.

The lake has not much good story. Uranium was found here. It was from here that uranium was mined for the manufacture of bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The lake is almost always covered with ice, the ice rarely melts before the end of July. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.





No. 7. Lake Baikal - 31,500 square kilometers. Eastern Siberia.

Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, the largest water reservoir, which contains 20% of the world's liquid fresh water. Baikal is also considered one of the cleanest lakes in the world.

The lake ranks seventh in terms of area in the world and first in terms of volume. The dimensions of the lake are: length - 636 km, width - 80 km, maximum depth - 1642 m, volume - 23,600 km3.
The origin of the lake is tectonic, the age is more than 25 million years. The fauna of Lake Baikal is one of the most unique in the world, many species are endemic.

No. 6. Lake Tanganyika - 32,893 square kilometers. Central Africa.

Lake Tanganyika is one of the most deep lakes in the world, along with Baikal. The lake lies between 4 countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi.

The dimensions of the lake are: length - 676 ​​km, width - 72 km, maximum depth - 1470 m, volume - 18,900 km3. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

Tanganyika lies in the deepest tectonic basin Africa and enters the basin of the Congo River, one of largest rivers in the world.





No. 5. Lake Michigan - 58,016 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Michigan is one of the Great Lakes. This lake is the largest of the lakes located entirely within the United States. Michigan is the fifth largest in the world and the third among the Great Lakes. The volume of the lake is 4918 m3, length - 494 km, width - 190 km, maximum depth - 281 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.





No. 4. Lake Huron - 59,596 square kilometers North America.

Lake Huron is one of the Great Lakes. This lake is located on the territory of two countries: the USA and Canada. Huron is the fourth largest lake in the world. The volume of the lake is 3538 m3, length - 331 km, width - 295 km, maximum depth - 229 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.




No. 3. Lake Victoria - 69,485 square kilometers. East Africa.

Lake Victoria is located in Tanzania, Kenya. After the construction of the Owen Falls Dam in 1954, the lake was turned into a reservoir. There are many islands on the lake. Fishing is developed on the lake and there are many ports on the territory of the three countries. On the island of Rubondo (Tanzania) formed national park.

Victoria is the third largest lake in the world. The volume of the lake is 2760 m3, the length is 320 km, the width is 274 km, the maximum depth is 80 m. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

The lake was discovered and named after Queen Victoria by British traveler John Henning Speke in 1858.

No. 2. Lake Superior - 82,414 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Superior is the second largest in the world and the largest among the Great Lakes, located on the border of the United States and Canada. The volume of the lake is 12,000 m3, length - 563 km, width - 257 km, maximum depth - 406 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

Etymology of the name. In the Ojibwe language, the lake is called Gichigami, which means "big water".





No. 1. Caspian Sea - 371,000 square kilometers. Europe Asia.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth and is classified as the largest lake or sea due to its size. Located at the junction of Europe and Asia. Volume - 78,200 m3, length - 1200 km, width - 435 km, maximum depth - 1025 m. coastline The Caspian Sea is approximately equal to 6500 kilometers.

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, the largest of them are the Volga, Terek, Sulak, Ural, Kura, Artek, etc. The Caspian Sea washes the shores of Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Russia, Azerbaijan.
The origin of the lake is oceanic.





The vast majority of lakes are not only sources of fresh water, but also interesting places visits for tourists and travelers. Let's present here nine of the most original lakes in the world, and tell you exactly why they are amazing and why they are worth visiting.

(10 photos amazing lakes)

There are no lakes in the world deeper than Baikal! It is located in Russian Federation on South Eastern Siberia. Resembling with its outlines the emerging new moon, the lake stretches, if you look at the map, from the northeast to the southwest. Its greatest depth is 1642 meters.
Not in the world cleaner than water than in Baikal! It is a huge natural reservoir for storing 20 percent of the world's and 90 percent of Russia's fresh water reserves. 336 rivers and streams carry their waters to Baikal, and the Selenga River brings half of all the water entering the lake into the lake. And Angara − the only river flowing from Baikal. The water from the lake is amazing and unique. It is absolutely transparent, pure and rich in oxygen. There are even seals in it. Baikal water was considered healing, and various diseases were treated with it.

There are no mountain lakes in terms of fresh water reserves in the world more than Titicaca! It is located on the border of the South American countries of Bolivia and Peru.
From an airplane, the lake looks like a sea, and from the shore, it partially resembles a vast swampy swamp, overgrown with reeds, which locals adapted for the construction of their dwellings and islands of habitation, the manufacture of clothes, hats, bags and other things. Local legend says that in ancient times, the Aymara Indians, swimming across the Titicaca in their pirogues, ended up in the territory of the Incas. These peoples did not manage to get along, but the proud Aymara did not even think of returning back - they decided to stay and live here, swimming on the lake. Since then, they have been living on reed islands-rafts.

Cheongji is unique in its volcanic origin. This is the highest crater lake. It is located on the border of China and North Korea at an altitude of 2189 meters, so it is called the "Heavenly Lake".
Cheongji is surrounded by mountains with winding paths, which can be traveled even on horseback. There are a number of North Korean legends about the lake here. Hwanung once descended from heaven to its shores, whose son became the founder of the Korean state of Kojoson. The second most popular myth is the legend of Kim Jong Il: lakeside residents quite seriously assure visitors that the son of Kim Il Sung, the founder of the DPRK, was born on the shores of this lake.

Crater, like our Baikal, is one of the most transparent lakes in the world. It is located in the USA.
You can get there by sightseeing bus departing from Ashland, or by private car. Distance to Crater - 53 kilometers It is advisable to keep in mind that the road around the lake opens at the end of spring and closes for the winter in October. Riding on it delivers real pleasure from the opening amazing lake landscape. The Klamath Indians consider it sacred. Until the middle of the 19th century, they kept Crater's location secret, keeping white explorers out of it. It wasn't until 1853 that John Wesley Hillman became the first white man to visit the lake. He gave it the name "Deep blue Lake". US President Theodore Roosevelt declared the area surrounding Crater a national park in 1902. The main sights of the lake are a small volcanic island called “Koldovskaya”, and “Lake Old Man” - a nine-meter log floating upright in the water for over a hundred years.

Nakuru is a lake located 140 kilometers from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya (Africa).
It is densely populated with small flamingos. Dozens, if not hundreds of thousands of birds, taking off and landing, form a continuous pink blanket of various shades. Flamingos are not alone on Nakuru. In addition to them, many ducks, cormorants, pelicans, herons, black terns live here - about four hundred species of birds in total. The lake is surrounded by the national park of the same name. On the way to the water, a tourist can meet zebras, hippos, giraffes, antelopes, lions, leopards and cheetahs.

A unique lake consisting of countless small lakes. Kliluk is located in Canada (North America).
In summer, almost all the water in it evaporates, and sedimentary minerals harden and create “paths” between 365 irregularly shaped honeycomb lakes, thanks to which the lake got the name “Spotted Lake”. It is also unique that there are no traces of human activity nearby - not a single souvenir shop, not to mention hotels. For twenty years, local residents have been protecting Kliluk and its environs from the encroachments of businessmen, keeping them in their original form, and not in vain. They completely bought the territory and made it a protected area in 2001.

Jiuzhaigou - non-freezing "Lake of Five Flowers" in China (Asia).
It would seem that this is surprising? The surface of the lake is ice-free all year round, although there is not a single thermal spring. The bottom of the reservoir is covered with driftwood, and in general, the water in the lake should be cloudy, but again, for an unknown reason, it remains transparent and clean. Hundreds daily tourist buses take travelers along the route along intricately curved lakes and thundering waterfalls surrounded by thickets of bamboo.

Peach Lake is an ordinary polluted lake. It is located in Caribbean. States − Trinidad and Tobago.
The uniqueness is that the water in the lake is saturated with liquid natural asphalt. It is estimated that there are about six million tons of it here, which will last another four hundred years. By the way, the liquid composition of Peach Lake is not only thick smoking asphalt. There are many places in it and ... to swim. Therefore, almost 20,000 people come here every year. There is also a camp site on the shore.

Located in Australia, the Rechers archipelago. This is a unique pink pond, the likes of which are not found anywhere else in the world.
Can you imagine the water is pink? Scientists are still scratching their heads about what strangely tints the lake water. At first it was assumed that algae were to blame, but water samples showed that this was not the reason: there was not a single algae in it that initiated the pink color. The lake is bordered by a belt of white salt and an evergreen eucalyptus forest. There is another "feature" of this reservoir - all of Hiller's photographs were taken from a bird's eye view. Visits by tourists to Middle Island, on which this lake turns pink, are prohibited.

HD video Flamingos at Lake Nakuru

Many consider the most beautiful lakes those that are located nearby and are familiar from childhood. Someone gives preference to reservoirs where the whole family goes to rest from year to year. However, there are lakes on Earth that attract tourists from all over the world. These are real wonders of nature, legends about which began to be composed since time immemorial.

Baikal

Lake Baikal in winter

It is customary to talk about the largest lake on the planet in superlatives. Baikal is called the most beautiful and majestic lake on Earth. There are many poems, fairy tales and legends about him. Baikal water so clear that objects lying at a depth of 40 m can be seen through it.

This is the deepest lake in the world. It was formed in a tectonic basin, so the maximum depths reach 1642 m. Almost 20% of the world's fresh water is stored in a huge bowl. Seismic activity in the Baikal region is very high, and several earthquakes a year occur in the vicinity of the giant reservoir. However, they are so small that most shocks are detected only by highly sensitive equipment.

loch ness

Ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness

Most mysterious lake planet attracts tourists with legends about a monster living here. It is interesting that the legends about him appeared even among the ancient Celts. Every year, more than half a million travelers from all over the world rush to the shores of the Scottish reservoir to see the mysterious lake monster Nessie.

Like Baikal for Russia, Loch Ness is the largest reservoir of fresh water in the UK. There is a lot of peat suspension in the water of Loch Ness, so it is not transparent and does not allow video shooting at depth.

Como

Yachts on the background Alpine mountains on Lake Como

The natural pearl of Italy is recognized as one of the deepest lakes in the Old World. Max Depth Como reaches 410 m. Tourists come here to spend time among the amazing beautiful nature and breathe in the clean air of the Alpine foothills.

The picturesque slopes close the reservoir from cold winds, so Como has a mild climate. From the 19th century Italian lake has become a favorite holiday destination for Europeans. It is considered a true paradise for swimmers. From May to the end of October, the temperature of the lake water does not drop below +24°C.

Plitvice lakes

Plitvice Lakes National Park

The popular national park in Croatia includes not one, but as many as 16 large lakes located in a picturesque cascade with a height difference of 130 m. The shores of these lakes are overgrown with beech and pine forests and attract travelers with ancient karst caves and beautiful waterfalls. Plitvice Lakes are beautiful at any time of the year. In summer, you can see flocks of river trout in clear water. In winter, the surrounding forests are wrapped in snow, the waterfalls freeze and turn into pillars of ice sparkling in the sun.

Michigan

View of Chicago from Lake Michigan

The biggest freshwater lake The USA has an area of ​​57.75 thousand square meters. km. It is part of the Great Lakes system and is connected by straits to Lake Hudson and the majestic Mississippi River. The name "Michigan" was given to the lake by the local Indians. Translated from one of their dialects, it means "big water".

In the first half of the 20th century, industrial megacities grew up on the shores of the lake. Harmful chemical discharges almost ruined the nature of Michigan. However, in the 1960s, environmentalists sounded the alarm and the lake water was saved. Fishing enthusiasts are coming to Michigan today. Salmon, pike perch, trout, salmon, carp and perch are caught in the lake. In addition, there are about 30 beaches scattered along the coast of Michigan, covered with pure white sand.

Issyk-Kul

Lake Issyk-Kul on the background of mountains

The largest lake in Kyrgyzstan is one of the largest alpine lakes in the world - it lies at an altitude of 1609 m. In terms of transparency, Issyk-Kul is second only to Baikal. Mild winters and a large amount of heat accumulated during the summer do not allow this lake to freeze. Due to the mild mountain-sea climate, the air in the lake basin is very clean, so many people come here to improve their health. Holidaymakers rush to Issyk-Kul for a tan, because 300 days a year the sun shines over the Kyrgyz lake. picturesque places attract fans active rest- lovers of walking and water tourism, skiers and fishermen.

Titicaca

Floating reed islands of the Uru Indians on Lake Titicaca

The mysterious lake, sacred to the indigenous peoples of the Andes, is located in beautiful mountains, on the border of Peru and Bolivia. According to legend, it is the cradle of Indian civilization. In ancient times, the lake lay at the level of the world ocean, but over time, the spurs of the Andes grew, and together with the mountains, the reservoir rose to a height of 3812 m.

The narrow Strait of Tikuin divides it into two basins. There are many islands on Titicaca and some of them are inhabited. Travelers choose this lake for its blue clear water, steep cliffs and overgrown green forest islands.

Lake Geneva

The terraced vineyards of Lavaux on Lake Geneva

The largest in Western Europe Lake Geneva is called Leman by the French. Most of it belongs to Switzerland, while about 40% belongs to France. Lake Geneva looks like a crescent moon, the horns of which are facing south. It appeared after the retreating glacier, and today it is divided into Big and Small lakes. The coast is surrounded by high green mountains, behind which peep snow-covered mountains. high peaks. From several points Lake Geneva offers excellent views of the majestic Mont Blanc.

bled

Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on Lake Bled

Lake Bled is known as the most beautiful natural attraction in Slovenia. It is located on the conditional border between the South and Central Europe. Tourists come to the picturesque shores to admire the oldest Slovenian castle, which hangs on a steep cliff right above the water. Another attraction of Lake Bled is a beautiful church that rises on a small island. Bled is very easy to get to. From the capital of Slovenia - the city of Ljubljana, the lake separates about 50 km.

Tacho

Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe

The shores of the American Lake Tahoe have long been one of the main tourist centers California and Nevada. Grow here in abundance coniferous forests, which are dominated by pines and firs, and numerous streams and channels attract a large number of beavers in the vicinity of Tahoe. Many recreation centers have been built along the lake. Lovers come here in the summer beach holiday, fishing and aquatic species sports, and in winter, fans of mountain skiing go to Tahoe.

Lake Jellyfish

Golden and Moon Jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake

One of unique reservoirs our planet is located in the Pacific archipelago, which is owned by the Republic of Palau. Medusa Lake has dimensions of 460 by 160 m and is separated from the ocean coast by a two-hundred-meter strip of land. About 2 million jellyfish live in its slightly salty waters! They have no natural enemies, so a huge population actively breeds and thrives.

This is the only place on Earth where you can swim surrounded by a large number jellyfish and at the same time do not be afraid of their bites. That is why many divers are in a hurry to get to an unusual body of water. The reason for such an unusual behavior of jellyfish is their autonomous existence. Living in a closed reservoir, they adapted to a different type of food and learned to “grow” symbiotic algae on themselves, and before that the poisonous tentacles stopped stinging.

Seliger

Nilo-Stolobenskaya Hermitage on Lake Seliger

The long lake is often referred to as the blue necklace of Central Russia. Seliger lies on the border of the Novgorod and Tver regions and was named Lake Ostashkovsky by the locals. More than one and a half hundred large and small islands are scattered across the water surface of Seliger. The protruding land areas, uneven coasts and beautiful channels became the legacy of the Ice Age.

On our incredible beautiful planet there is a huge variety beautiful corners nature. The mystery of some of them has not yet been fully unraveled, they frighten with their desert silence, centuries-old trees and thousand-year-old stones. Travelers, tourists and just vacationers have long trodden the path to others. All the paths there have long been studied, every stone has been photographed and the path has been concreted...

Among all natural phenomena lakes can be classified as a separate category. They are not as huge as the sea, not as fast as the river, but there is something special in their magical beauty and mysterious silence. It attracts to these places like a magnet and does not want to let go back. In this compilation, you can see the 10 largest lakes in the world, which at the same time are simply fabulously beautiful, and learn interesting facts about them.

Caspian Sea

Despite its inaccurate name, it is the largest lake on our planet. It is located at the junction of Europe with Asia, and it got its name because of its huge size. The shape of the Caspian resembles latin letter S. The length of the coastline of the Caspian Sea is almost 7,000 kilometers. Its maximum depth is 1,025 meters. In this regard, it is second only to Baikal.

Victoria

This lake is the third largest in the world in general and the second of fresh lakes. It is located simultaneously on the territory of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. British traveler John Henning Speke discovered this lake in 1858 and named it after Queen Victoria. The area of ​​the reservoir is 68 thousand square meters. km, length 320 km, maximum width 275 km. north coast This lake is crossed by the equator. There are 30 million people living in the vicinity of Victoria.

Michigan

The area of ​​this North American lake is approximately 57,750 sq. km. It is the only one of the Great Lakes that is entirely within the United States. It is covered with ice for about four months of the year. The states of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin have access to the lake.

Huron

One of the North American Great Lakes, which is located simultaneously in the United States and Canada. It is located a little north of the lake Michigan, and is connected to it by the Strait of Mackinac. The Huron area is approximately 59.6 thousand km. square (the second largest among the Great Lakes). The state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario overlook this lake. The name of the reservoir was given by the French by the name of one of the Indian tribes.

Upper

The largest, coldest and deepest of the North American Great Lakes, the second largest in the world, the largest in the world of freshwater. The origin of the Upper Lake is associated with the melting of the ice sheet, during the retreat of which a series of large reservoirs, which changed their outlines many times.

Aral Sea

This salt Lake V Central Asia, on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Over the past few decades, the water level in it has been constantly decreasing due to the constant withdrawal of water from the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers for irrigation purposes. Water flowing from the fields into these two rivers has caused the deposition of pesticides and other hazardous chemicals on the bottom of the lake. Dust storms lift and carry chemicals over long distances. Therefore, local residents are very ill with respiratory and other diseases.

Tanganyika

Large lake, which is located in Central Africa. It was discovered in 1858 by English travelers R. Burton and J. Speke. The shores of the reservoir unite four countries: Democratic Republic Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi. The area of ​​the lake reaches 34 thousand km. sq. Its shore consists mainly of rocks. There are hippos, crocodiles in the lake, local population is engaged fishing developed shipping. Living organisms are found in this lake only up to 200 meters deep, and then the water is saturated with concentrated hydrogen sulfide.

Baikal

The deepest lake on our planet. It is located in Southern Siberia and has tectonic origin. The lake and the area around it are unique in terms of the quantity and diversity of their flora and fauna. More than half of this lake is covered with ice. Baikal is surrounded by mountain ranges from all sides.

Big Bear Lake

Most large lake Canada, which is located in the Arctic Circle. It has an outflow to the Mackenzie River. Incredibly beautiful paintings can be observed in the vicinity of the reservoir.

Nyasa

This lake is simultaneously located in Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi. Its area is approximately 30.8 thousand km. sq., and the depth is up to 706 m. The shores are very high and rocky. This reservoir is very rich in fish, and crocodiles, hippos are also found in it, various waterfowl have chosen the shores.

1 place

Superior, North America

The youngest and largest freshwater lake in the world. The water surface area is more than 82 thousand km². It is also the largest body of water in the Great Lakes system. The amount of water in it alone is equal to the water volume of the entire system - 11.5 km³. This is ten percent of the entire freshwater supply of our planet.

The volume of water in this lake so large that it is possible to cover both American continent. Lake waters are replenished by 300 rivers and streams. The maximum depth of the reservoir is 400 meters.

In addition to its size, the lake is famous for its cleanliness. Water eight meters deep is always clear. The reservoir is so large that in opposite parts of it the sun rises and sets with a difference of thirty minutes.

2nd place

Victoria, Africa

The largest African body of water and one of the largest lakes planets. It was formed several hundred million years ago and stretched for three modern states. Its area is more than 60 thousand km². A rare variety of fish is found here, which is as old as the lake. There are also crocodiles in the waters of Victoria.

3rd place

Huron and Michigan, North America

Even though these are two different lakes, they form a single water system. Connected by a strait. The area of ​​each reservoir exceeds 55 thousand km². There are islands in the lake basin where people live. Boats and ships cruise along the water surface.

4th place

Tanganyika, Africa

This lake is inferior in area and volume of water to the previous reservoirs, but wins in length. It is considered the longest in the world. Tanganyika runs through four countries. The water surface area is 33 thousand km². The most great depth reaches the mark of 1400 meters.

5th place

Baikal, Russian Federation

It is considered the largest in terms of volume of water. Its area is smaller than that of the Upper one, but it wins in depth. Baikal is considered one of the oldest lakes on the planet, located in the deepest cleft of the Earth. Average depth Baikal is about seven hundred meters. In the place where the fault of the earth's crust is the largest, the depth of the reservoir exceeds one and a half thousand meters. The area of ​​the water surface reaches 30 thousand km².

It is believed that the lake arose due to shifts tectonic plates. It happened about thirty million years ago. Baikal is famous for its good drinking properties. A species of tiny crustaceans lives in its waters, which cleanse algae and bacteria. Rocky rocks also affect the watershed.

6th place

Bear, Canada

Located near the Arctic Circle, it has a beautiful landscape and clean water. There are two settlements along the shores of the lake. The reservoir is one of the five major lakes in North America.

7th place

Nyasa, Africa

Another big African lake located in a relief depression. The area of ​​the water surface reaches 30 thousand km². Aquarium fish are bred in this lake.

8th place

Ladoga, Russian Federation

It is the largest freshwater lake in Europe. Its area is slightly more than 18 thousand km². It is also quite ancient, as it arose about nine million years ago. The bowl and relief of the reservoir was formed due to the glacier that passed here.

9th place

East, Antarctica

Under a 4000 meter layer of ice lies the main lake of Antarctica. Its approximate area is 15 thousand km². There are versions that ancient living organisms that have survived to our times live in it.

10th place

Titicaca, South America

The ten largest lakes are closed by the largest lake South America. Its area is 8.5 thousand km². It is also considered the highest lake, as it is located in the mountains.

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