The largest and most beautiful lakes in Russia. The largest lakes in Russia

Posted Mon, 15/08/2016 - 08:53 by Cap

Etymology

In the early Russian written monuments, the origin of the name is unknown. Probably the ancient, Dauphine origin of the name of the lake.

There are several versions of the origin of the name:
Academician A. M. Sjogren produces the name of the lake from Fin. ääni - sound, voice, hence - "sounding ("noisy") lake".
A. L. Pogodin deciphers this toponym from the Saami. agne - "sand" + jegge - "low plain".
Professor, Doctor of Philology I. I. Mullonen believes that the name of the lake could come from the Saami. äne and the Baltic-Finnish änine / äniz, which means "big, significant."

The main beach of Novgorod is located on the banks of the Volkhov, near the walls of the Kremlin. However, in hot weather, it is packed to capacity, and it would seem that relaxing on Ilmen is more pleasant than in the city. However, the lake shores are low, often swampy, overgrown with reeds and indented by channels, so there are few beaches in the usual sense on Ilmen. All places suitable for swimming can be recognized by the quality of summer cottages and country houses- real estate in the "resort" areas is expensive. A good sandy beach is located near the Peryn Skete, a good one is near the villages of Ondvor and Ilmen, as well as near Sergovo. All of them are wild, i.e. disadvantaged. Their cleanliness depends only on the environmental awareness of vacationers, which still leaves much to be desired. On the southern shore of the lake, 30 km from Staraya Russa, there is a popular place Korostyn with a pebble beach.

Another name is Ostashkovskoye, after the name of the city of Ostashkov standing on the lake shore.
The area of ​​the lake is 260 km2, including about 38 km2 of islands (there are more than 160 of them on Seliger). The largest is Khachin.
The area of ​​the entire basin is 2275 km².

Maximum depth: 55 m
Area: 300 ha
Altitude above sea level: 1790 m
Administrative region: Ust-Koksinsky
Tourist area: Katunskie squirrels

Its name comes from the Altai tribe of Teleuts, and in Altai it is called Altyn-Kol, which means "golden lake". According to an old legend, in ancient times there was a famine in Altai. One Altaian had a large gold ingot, but, having gone around the whole Altai, he could not buy anything with it. Frustrated and hungry, the "rich" poor man threw his ingot into the lake and himself perished in its waves. Since then, in the language of the Altaians, the lake has been called Altyn-Kol - "golden lake".

Translated from the Bashkir name of the lake means "Beaver Lake". Beavers used to live here, now you can't see them here anymore.

There is another version: but according to the legend, on the northern shore, on the red sandy mountain, from which stones fall into the lake, there used to be a khan's headquarters.

Over time, the area began to be called "Khan-tora", "Khan-torganer", the place where the khan lives, gradually began to be called Kandra.

Food is mixed, snow, underground and rain.

The water in the lake is slightly brackish with high salinity.

The vegetation is represented by reeds, cattails and common reeds.

Lake Asylykul was formed, as many researchers claim, on the site of a giant karst sinkhole, gradually filled with water due to precipitation and groundwater. This happened, according to scientists, a million years ago.

In strong windy weather, it resembles the sea: huge waves come ashore, creating truly the sound of the sea surf. The southern coast is a rather steep slope with a height difference of 210 to 370 meters. The eastern side of this slope is covered with mixed forest, the middle part - with young larch and pine plantations.

ORIGIN OF THE LAKE NAME

There are several options for translating the name of the lake - “bitter lake”, “sprawling lake”, “bright lake”.

The presence of the word "bitter" in one of the interpretations of the name is explained by the brackishness of the lake due to the high mineralization of the water due to the lack of drainage of the lake. A kind of small sea in the center of Bashkiria.

first ice on Lake Galich


The water level in the lake is 100 m above sea level. Lake Galich is fed mainly by groundwater. Several rivers flow into it from the eastern side, the largest are Chelsma and Serednyaya, Veksa flows out.
The city of Galich is located on the southern shore of the lake.
The lake is rich in fish, but last years there is a tendency to shrink. Due to the shallow water, 70% of the area of ​​the reservoir is overgrown with thickets and silted, which can jeopardize the ecosystem of the lake.

SALT LAKE CRUSH

Razval is a small salt lake of artificial origin, located on the southern outskirts of the city of Sol-Iletsk Orenburg region. Razval Lake is the largest of the Iletsk lakes group: Tuzluchnoe, Teploe, Dunino, Novoe, Maloye and Bolshoy Gorodskoe lakes.
In the middle of the 18th century (1754), the industrial development of the Iletsk salt dome began in the Sol-Iletsk district of the Orenburg region. Mount Tuz-Tube towered at the place where the salt core came out onto the day surface. By the end 19th century on the site of the mountain, a hollow appeared up to 35 meters deep, 300 meters long, and 240 meters wide. In April 1906, as a result of the flooding of the basin by the flood waters of the Peschanka River, Lake Razval was formed with an area of ​​​​6.8 hectares with maximum depths of up to 22 meters.
The water in Lake Sol-Iletsk is a saturated saline solution containing more than 200 grams of salt per liter of water.
Lake Razval does not freeze even in the most severe frosts, and from a depth of 2-3 meters to the bottom it has negative temperatures all year round. In terms of chemical composition and salt concentration, the water in Lake Sol-Iletsk is similar to the water in the Dead Sea. There are no living organisms in the lake, no vegetation. Household waste is not dumped into Razval, so the lake is ecologically clean.
Due to the high salinity, the water in the lake has a higher density than the human body, and therefore it is impossible to go to the bottom while swimming. Since 2002, the lake has been surrounded by a lattice-metal fence.
There are several restaurants, a beach disco. People from different countries come to the lake, mainly Russia and Kazakhstan.

Lake Tuzluchnoye (mud)
It is the oldest of all the surviving lakes of the Sol-Iletsk salt dome.
The area of ​​the lake is 23,750 sq. m., depth 2.5 meters, the thickness of the mud layer up to 2 meters or more. The most active part of the mud is the colloidal complex.
It consists of iron sulfide, silicic acid, clay particles. Hormones and biogenic stimulants - substances constitute the most valuable part of the mud. Course treatment with mud promotes the resorption of scars, improves joint function, scarring of ulcers, relieves chronic pain syndromes, normalizes the function of the reproductive system, and treats the female genital area.

Lake Dunino (bromine, formed in 1896)
Formed in 1896. It is located 50 meters east of the lake "Razval"
The area of ​​the lake is 88.550 sq.m. , depth 13 meters. It contains more than 20 thousand cubic meters of therapeutic mud and a lot of bromine.
Bathing in this lake is recommended for people with increased irritability, nervous breakdowns, as well as for patients with initial manifestations of hypertension, with stomach ulcers, and skin diseases.
In the lake, crustaceans, salted brine shrimp, which give the lake a peculiar color, multiply in large numbers. One liter of water contains 165.5 grams of various salts.

It is located 40 km west of the city of Chita. (right tributary of the Selenga).
The water surface area is 58.5 km², the catchment area is 256 km², the volume of water is 0.610 km³.

Length - 10.9 km, maximum width - 6.8 km. Height above sea level - 965.1 m.
The water in the lake is fresh and flowing. Mineralization - 100-200 mg / dm³.
Lake Arakhley differs from other Ivano-Arakhley lakes in significant depths - the greatest depth is 19.5 m in the northeastern part of the reservoir.
In the central part, the depths reach more than 16 m. A rapid increase in depths can be traced in the northern part of the lake. In the southern part, the bottom is gently sloping with a gradual increase in depth towards the center of the lake.

Lake Arahley
In the coastal part, the bottom is sandy-pebbly, to a depth of 3-5 meters - sandy-silty. The rest of the bottom is covered with silt of organic origin.
Two small rivers flow into the lake - Domka and Gryaznukha (Shaborta).
In high-water years, the Kholoi stream flows out of the lake, flowing into Lake Shakshinskoye ().
On the shores of the lake are the villages of Arakhley, Preobrazhenka and various recreation centers.

(Beklemishevsky lakes, Chita lakes) - a system of lakes,.
It is located at an altitude of 945-965 meters above sea level in the basin between the Osinov and Yablonov ridges to the west of Chita.
It consists of 6 large lakes with a water surface of more than 10 km² (Arakhley, Shakshinskoye, Irgen, Ivan, Tasei, Bolshoi Undugun) and approximately 20 small reservoirs with an area of ​​less than 1 km².
Ivan and Tasei belong to the Lena basin, and Arakhley, Shakshinskoye, Bolshoi Undugun and Irgen belong to the Baikal basin.
The lakes are the center of the protected area of ​​the Ivano-Arakhleysky reserve.

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
Geography of the USSR.
http://gruzdoff.ru/
Wikipedia site.
http://ucrazy.ru/
http://geographyofrussia.com/
Waterfalls of Russia.

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Lakes of Russia. General characteristics of the lakes of Russia.

Lakes of Russia, general characteristics. Table.

The largest, largest lakes in Russia with an area of ​​​​over 500 km 2 are the European part.

The largest, largest lakes in Russia with an area of ​​​​over 500 km 2 - the Asian part (Siberia)

The largest and largest lakes in Russia. List (pivot table).

The list of the largest lakes in Russia is larger than 200 km², in descending order of area:

The deepest lakes in Russia. List (table)

List of the deepest lakes in Russia deeper than 20 m, in descending order of depth:

Notes:

1. In case of exact coincidence of depths, the lake is indicated above, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is smaller (more compact at the same maximum depth)
2. The table "The deepest lakes in Russia" was compiled by the author of the article from various sources. Special thanks to site visitors for additions. Each proposed lake in Russia is checked and added to the list.

Top 10. The largest and largest lakes in Russia. Titles and descriptions.

1. The Caspian Sea-Lake - the first place in the list of "The largest and largest lakes in Russia" (371,000 km 2).

The main characteristics of the Caspian Sea in numbers. Table.

Description of the Caspian Sea - the largest and largest lake in Russia.

The Caspian Sea is unique in its own way: it has features of both a lake and a sea.

Signs of the Caspian Sea as a lake:

Does not give its runoff to the oceans;

Does not connect with the seas of the oceans;

It is a "closed, natural depression in the land, filled with water", i.e. lake.

Signs of the Caspian Sea as a sea:

Huge size;

Salty water;

Oceanic crust that forms the southern part of its basin.

The natural wealth of the largest lake in Russia and the world has long attracted many nations here. Cimmerians, Cumans, Scythians, Sarmatians, Arabs, Turks, Persians, Khazars and many other peoples lived here. Ancient trade routes ran along the Caspian Sea. On them there was a resettlement of the people, and there was a trade.

Each of the peoples called the Caspian in their own way. The ancient Greeks called it the Hyrcanian or Persian Sea, the Assyrians - the East, the Chinese - the West. Among the Arabs, it was known under the name of the Horosan or Khazar Sea; Tatars called it Ak-Dengiz (White Sea). In ancient Russian chronicles, the Caspian Sea was called Khvalynsky or Derbent.

Among the many names, one has survived - modern. It comes from a disappeared people - the Caspians (horse breeders) who once lived on its shores.

The Caspian Sea is fed by the longest river in Europe - the Volga. In addition to it, the Urals, Emba, Terek, Kura bring their waters to the Caspian.

The water level in the Caspian Sea is subject to large and long fluctuations. And although this feature was noticed in ancient times, the reasons for this have not been fully elucidated. At present, the water level in the Caspian Sea is 27.5 meters below the level of the World Ocean.

2. Lake Baikal - the second place in the list of "The largest and largest lakes in Russia" (31,500 2).

The main characteristics of Lake Baikal in numbers. Table.

Description of Baikal - the deepest lake in Russia.

Lake Baikal- one of the most amazing natural objects on our planet. It is the deepest, the largest in terms of volume of fresh water, and the most unique in terms of the uniqueness of the organic world. There is no other body of water on Earth so large, so far from the ocean. The basin of the lake is of tectonic origin, as evidenced by its elongated shape.

A huge mass of water keeps heat for a long time and does not freeze for a long time. In December, and sometimes in January, separate ice floes still walk along the surface of the reservoir. The lake opens in mid-May. The thickness of the ice by this time reaches one meter.

In summer, one of the largest and largest lakes in Russia and the world - Baikal is harsh and angry. Winds and storms bring a lot of trouble to ship captains and fishermen. Each of the winds has its own name: barguzin, kultuk, gloss, sarma, siver, shelonnik, etc. Baikal surpasses the Black Sea in the number of stormy days. The height of waves during a storm can reach 4 meters.

There are legends about Baikal water. Nowhere in the world is there such soft, chemically pure, oxygen-rich and healthy water. The following fact is interesting: the water in Baikal is fresher than the water of the rivers and streams flowing into it. Each liter contains less than 0.1 g of dissolved minerals - calcium, magnesium, silicon.

Due to the small amount of impurities, the water in Baikal is the most transparent in the world. The white disk used to determine the transparency of water is visible to a depth of 40-45 meters. For comparison, we note that in Lake Ladoga it disappears from view when submerged to 10 meters, in Sevan - to 20 meters, in the Caspian Sea - to 25 meters.

In terms of the diversity of the organic world, the deepest lake in Russia and the world - Baikal can compete with tropical seas. More than 2.5 thousand species of animals and plants live in Baikal. At the same time, about 2/3 of them are not found anywhere else.

The unique organic world contributes to the preservation of the purity of Baikal waters. Tiny epishura crustaceans filter water through the mesh of their antennae and catch organisms that cause the water to “bloom”. Diatoms extract silicon from the water and build their elegant shells from it. Scientists have calculated that algae take 400-500 thousand tons of silicon annually.

3. Lake Ladoga - the third place in the list of "The largest and largest lakes in Russia" (17,703 km 2).

The main characteristics of Lake Ladoga in numbers. Table.

Description of Lake Ladoga Russia - the third of the largest and largest lakes in Russia.

Location.

Lake Ladoga is located in the northwest of the European part of Russia. Belongs to the Baltic Sea basin Atlantic Ocean.

Origin.

Once upon a time, about 9 thousand years ago, Ladoga was part of the sea. Then with the advent Karelian Isthmus, the lake separated and began to take on a life of its own.

Ladoga is the largest lake in Europe by area. Its area is about 18,000 sq. km. The shores are mostly flat and low, only in the north a lot of narrow and long bays protrude into the shore, formed as a result of glacier processing.

According to the terms of navigation, Ladoga is equated to the seas. Class “M” ships sail here, i.е. marine.

The area is divided into four parts:
Northern Ladoga region - southern Karelia;
Eastern Ladoga region - Olonets region of Karelia;
Southern Ladoga - Kirovsky and Volkhov districts of the Leningrad region;
Western Ladoga - Karelian Isthmus.

Islands.

Lake Ladoga has a lot of islands, the third largest and largest lake in Russia has about 660 of them. Most of the islands lie in the northern part. The most significant of them are Riekkalansari, Mantsinsari, Kilpola, and Valaam. Valaam Island is known for the Valaam Monastery located on it, which was one of the Russian fortresses in the past.

Winter ice.

With the onset of winter, Lake Ladoga begins to freeze gradually. Frequent storms break open the fragile ice, as a result of which the surface of the reservoir begins to be a chaos of broken ice and supercooled water. As a result, the ice of the largest lake in the European part of Russia is uneven, bumpy, with hummocks. The height of the latter can reach the height of a 5-storey building! The reservoir is freed from the ice cover in early May.

Historical facts.

Since ancient times, people have lived along the banks of Ladoga, but they began to develop it relatively recently. The northern beauty of Russia is famous for its storms, violent temper, strong winds, and only the bravest warriors could travel along its waves. Such were the Scandinavians - the first sailors of the big lake in Russia.

Later along south coast the path "from the Varangians to the Greeks" was laid.

On geographical maps, with the light hand of the German scientist Sebastian Munster, Ladoga began to be marked from 1544.

However, a thorough study of the banks of the Ladoga region was undertaken only in 1858-1866. staff captain A.P. Andreev. For this expedition, the officer was awarded the gold and silver medals of the Russian Geographical Society.

4. Lake Onega - the fourth place in the list of "The largest and largest lakes in Russia" (9,616 km 2).

The main characteristics of Lake Onega in numbers. Table.

Description of Lake Onega - the fourth of the largest and largest lakes in Russia.

Location.

Lake Onega is the fourth of the largest and largest lakes in Russia - located on the territory of the Republic of Karelia, Leningrad and Vologda regions. Refers to the Baltic Sea basin of the Atlantic Ocean. About 80% of the lake's area is located in the Republic of Karelia, 20% - in the Leningrad and Vologda regions.

Geographic feature.

Lake Onega in terms of area is the second of the largest and largest freshwater lakes in Europe after Ladoga.

Despite the fact that the area of ​​Lake Onega is almost twice less area Ladoga, it is 50 km longer than the last one.

The shape of the lake is very bizarre: it resembles a certain mythical creature with several tentacles, resembling either a trunk or a claw.

Etymology.

One of the interpretations of the name of the reservoir claims that the word "onego" in the ancient Finnish language means "smoking lake". This name appeared from the frequent fogs creeping over the water.

Origin.

Both Ladoga and Onega lakes are related not only by the fact that they are the largest and largest in Europe and are located not far from each other. The main thing is that they appeared almost simultaneously, after the retreat of the last glaciers. Large tectonic depressions, occupied by the basins of lakes, existed in the pre-glacial period. The advancing glaciers plowed the bottoms of the lake basins, making them more even, and processed the coastal rocks. Thus, according to the method of origin of the basins, these reservoirs are classified as glacial-tectonic.

Islands.

Within the fourth of the largest and largest lakes in Russia - Lake Onega, there are more than one and a half thousand islands. The shores of most of them are indented with bays and bays, and they themselves are covered with dense forests. The largest of them are Klimetsky, Suysari. The most famous - Kizhi - is a nature reserve, famous for its wooden monuments of folk architecture.

Flowing rivers.

Numerous rivers replenish big lake Russia with water. Among them are Shuya, Suna, Andoma, Vytegra. The water level depends on how much water the rivers bring. In the spring, when the snow melts, the tributaries become high-water and intensively feed the lake. His level is rising. By the middle of summer, the water level gradually decreases.

5. Lake Taimyr - the fifth place in the list of "The largest and largest lakes in Russia" (4,560 km 2).

The main characteristics of the lake. Taimyr in numbers. Table.

Description of Lake Taimyr - the fifth of the largest and largest lakes in Russia.

Location.

Lake Taimyr is located far beyond the Arctic Circle and is the largest and largest northern lake in Russia and the world. It is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory on the Taimyr Peninsula at the foot of the Byrranga Mountains.

Description of the coastline.

The coast of the largest and largest northern lake Russia differ greatly from each other: if in the north the coasts are strongly indented, represented by rocks up to 100 meters high, then in the south the coasts are gentle, sandy and pebbly.

The rocks of the northern coast are subject to constant destruction due to the severe frosts inherent in these regions. During the short summer, the snow in the hollows of the rocks melts and seeps into small cracks. In winter, the water freezes and the ice breaks seemingly impregnable rocks. As a result of such long-term work of water and frost, large blocks come off the rocks of the northern lake of Russia and fall into the water.

Depth and structural features of the bottom.

The bottom of the lake Taimyr is mostly flat, only in some places there are quite deep basins. The average depth of the largest and largest northern lake in Russia and the world is small - 2.8 meters.

Power type.

The nutrition of Lake Taimyr is mixed: snow and rain. Melt waters are brought by flowing rivers.

Climate.

As befits the northernmost lake in Russia and the world, the climate here is harsh. Lake water in the warmest time of the year, in August, has an average temperature of 7 ° C, in winter the water temperature at great depths is about 1 ° C. In winter, the water freezes in many places to the very bottom, freezing lasts from September to June.

Origin.

The Upper Taimyr River flows into Lake Taimyr, and the Lower Taimyr River flows out. But if you look at it, the entire chain of Upper Taimyr - Lake Taimyr - Lower Taimyr is one river. It's just that the river, having met a large pit on its way, spread out and occupied its entire area.

Then the ice sheet that covered the Byrranga mountains melted and a fissure opened up through the mountains. Through this crack, the waters of the lake, forming the Lower Taimyr River, rushed into the Kara Sea.

But quite in ancient times, when the ocean level was higher than at present, there was a sea on the site of the largest and largest northern lake in Russia. This is evidenced by the numerous, inherent only in sea water, species of flora and fauna found in the lake.

6. Lake Khanka - the sixth place in the list of "The largest and largest lakes in Russia" (4,190 km 2).

The main characteristics of the lake. Khanka. Table.

Description of the lake Khanka - the largest and largest Far Eastern lake in Russia.

Location.

Khanka is the largest and largest Far Eastern lake in Russia. It is located on the border of the Primorsky Territory of Russia and the Heilongjiang province of China on the Khanka lowland at an altitude of 68 meters above sea level. The northern part of the reservoir belongs to the territory of China. Near the lake Khanka is located on the lake. Malaya Khanka, separated by alluvial deposits.

Form.

The lake is shaped like a pear, with a wide part facing north.

surface area.

The area of ​​the water surface of the lake depends on climatic conditions. In wet years, the water level rises, and the surface area increases to five thousand square meters. km. In dry years, it is reduced to 4 thousand square meters. km. The banks are mostly swamps. Wetlands are found only in the northwest.

Depth.

The sixth largest and largest lake in Russia is shallow. Depths of 1-3 m prevail, the maximum is -10.6 m, and the average depth is 4.5 meters.

Inflowing and flowing rivers.

24 rivers flow into Lake Khanka, but only one flows out - the Sungacha, which connects it with the Ussuri, and that, in turn, with the Amur. On average, the runoff to Khanka is 1.94 km3 per year, of which about 1.85 km3.

Interesting Facts.

On the largest and largest east lake Russia organized the international Russian-Chinese Khanka reserve.

7. Lake Peipus-Pskovskoye - the seventh place in the list of "The largest and largest lakes in Russia" (3,555 km 2).

The main characteristics of Lake Peipus-Pskov. Table.

Description of Lake Peipus-Pskov - the seventh of the largest and largest lakes in Russia.

Location. Lake Peipus-Pskovskoye is located on the border of Russia (north-west of the Pskov region) and Estonia.

Origin.

Lake Peipus-Pskovskoe is of glacial origin. Retreating, the glacier left behind huge piles of rubble, stone, sand and other material - moraine. In the depressions of the moraine-hilly relief, water collected and a bizarre-shaped reservoir with swampy shores formed.

Physical characteristics.

Water surface area is 3550 km 2, of which 2100 km 2 of the reservoir belongs to the Pskov region, the rest - to Estonia.

Depth the seventh largest lake in Russia - the maximum is 15.3 meters, the average is 7.1 m.

Form.

Lake Peipus-Pskovskoe consists of three parts:

• Lake Peipsi
• Pskov lake
• A warm lake is a strait connecting the first two parts.

Dimensions.

In terms of size, the seventh of the largest and largest lakes in Russia is the fourth in Europe (after Ladoga (Russia), Onega (Russia) and Lake Venern (Sweden)). Lake Peipsi is 150 km long and 50 km wide.

Inflowing and flowing rivers.

About 30 rivers flow into the lake: Zhelcha, Zadubka, Cherma, Gdovka, Kuna, Torokhovka, Remda, Rovya, Chernaya, Lipenka, Startseva, Borovka, Abizha, Velikaya, Obdyoh, Piusa, Vyhandu, Emajygi, Kodza, Kargaya, Omedu, Tagayygi , Alaiygi. Only one river flows out - the Narva, which flows into The Gulf of Finland.

Islands.

The lake has 29 islands with a total area of ​​25.8 km².

Largest islands:

• Piyrisar Island (7.39 km²), located in the southern part of Lake Peipus,
• Kolpina Island (with an area of ​​11 km²) - in Lake Pskov;
• Kamenka Island (with an area of ​​about 6 km²).

The Crow Island is also known.

The cities of Kallaste and Mustvee are located on the coast of Lake Peipus-Pskov in Russia; 2 km from the eastern shore of Lake Peipsi - the city of Gdov, 10 km from the lake on the Velikaya River - Pskov.

Economic value.

In Pskov Lake Peipus 54 representatives of coastal aquatic flora are represented. Including the lake is rich in commercial fish species: pike perch, vendace, bream, whitefish, pike, burbot and the famous Pskov smelt.

The lake is navigable, including passenger traffic.

In the coastal strip of Lake Pskov there is a wetland ornithological reserve "Pskovsko-Chudskaya lakeside lowland" - this is the most valuable reserve of many plants and animals rare in the Baltic region, the most important resting and feeding place on the White Sea-Baltic flyway of swans, geese and ducks during their flights.

Historical facts.

On the ice of Lake Peipus on April 5, 1242, the famous battle of the Russian rati of the young prince Alexander Nevsky against the troops of the Livonian Order took place.

8. Lake Ubsu-Nur - the eighth place in the list of "The largest and largest lakes in Russia" (3,350 km 2).

The main characteristics of the lake Ubsu-Nur. Table.

Description of Lake Ubsu-Nur - the eighth of the largest and largest lakes in Russia.

Location.

Oz. Ubsu-Nur is located on the border of Russia (Republic of Tuva) and Mongolia at an altitude of 753 meters above sea level. The main part of the lake belongs to Mongolia, while Russia has only 12 sq. km of water surface and 10 km of coastline. In the Russian section, three rivers flow into the lake: Irbitey, Kholu and Oruku-Shina. Many other rivers flowing into the reservoir in Mongolia also originate in Russia.

Origin.

During the ice age on the site of the lake. Ubsu-Nur splashed a huge body of water with an area of ​​16 thousand km². But the climate gradually changed, the lake dried up, and now its area has been reduced to 3000 square meters. km.

Coastal characteristics.

The coast of a large and large lake in Russia is characterized by wetlands on both sides. Here, numerous rivers, originating in the mountains, pour their water into the lake. The main tributary is the Tes-Khem River. In other places they come close to the water mountain ranges and sand masses.

degree of mineralization.

Lake Ubsu-Nur is salty with water that tastes like sea water. The farther from the mouths of the inflowing rivers, the salt concentration increases. The average salinity of lake water is 18.5 - 19.7 g/l.

Climate type and temperature regime.

The freezing period lasts from October to May. In summer the water warms up to 25°C. The annual fluctuation of air temperature can range from -58 °C in winter to 47 °C in summer. The basin of Lake Ubsu-Nur in Russia is a unique natural laboratory, in which several natural zones are presented at once. The Ubsunur International Center for Biosphere Research has been operating here for several years.

Economic value.

very rich animal world lake basin - in the vicinity of one of the largest lakes in Russia, there are 173 species of birds and 41 species of mammals, 29 various kinds fish.

Coastal settlements.

The largest settlement in the vicinity of the lake. Ubsu-Nur - administrative center Ubsunur aimag - the city of Ulaangom (27 km south-west from the coast).

Historical facts.

In the vicinity of the eighth of the largest and largest lakes in Russia, people began to settle several thousand years ago. This is evidenced by many archaeological finds - burial mounds, deer stones, petroglyphs, runic inscriptions, etc. The artifacts found are attributed to the cultures of ancient nomads - the Huns, Mongols, Yenisei Kyrgyz.

In 2003, the eighth of the largest lakes in Russia was included in the list world heritage UNESCO.

9. Lake Chany - the ninth place in the list of "The largest and largest lakes in Russia" (2000 km 2). The largest and largest lake in Western Siberia.

The main characteristics of Lake Chany. Table.

Description of Lake Chany - the ninth of the largest and largest lakes in Russia.

Location.

Oz. Chany, located in the Baraba lowland, is the largest lake Western Siberia. It is located on the territory of five districts of the Novosibirsk region: Zdvinsky, Barabinsky, Chanovsky, Kupinsky and Chistoozerny.

Origin.

The emergence of Lake Chany in Russia is attributed to the end of the ice age, about 10 - 13 thousand years ago.

Physical characteristics.

Chany is 91 km long and 88 km wide. The area of ​​the water surface is not constant and currently, according to various estimates, ranges from 1400 to 2000 km².

The average depth is about 2 meters. The basin of the lake is flat. The vats are shallow, depths up to 2 meters account for 60% total area. The shores are quite low and heavily indented, overgrown with reeds, reeds, sedges and shrubs. The bottom soil is sandy and silty.

Form.

The lake is a system of stretches connected by channels and shallow areas, of which there are three largest: Chinyakhinsky, Tagano-Kazantsevsky and Yarkovsky, differing in water salinity, area, depths, soils, food base.

Inflowing and flowing rivers.

Chany is a salty drainless lake in Russia. Flowing rivers - Kargat, Chulym.

Islands of Lake Chany.

There are about 70 islands on the lake, the largest are Amelkina Griva, Schuldikov, Lezhan, Bear, Cap, Chinyaikha, Cheryomukhovy, Rare. Cheryomushkin, Kobyliy, Perekopny, Bekarev, Kalinova, Chinyaikha, Shipyagin, Krugly, Kolotov, Kamyshny Islands are natural monuments of the region, because they have preserved unique landscapes that are habitats for rare species of plants and animals.

Coastal settlements.

Currently, there are 12 villages on the shores of the largest lake in Western Siberia. Neither of settlements on the shore of the lake Chany does not have the status of a city or an urban-type settlement.

Economic value.

The reservoir is of great fishery importance. The surrounding land is used for haymaking and grazing. Water from the lake is used for technical needs. There is local navigation on the lake. In 1994, Lake Chany in Russia was included in the list of wetlands of world importance.

Climate.

Most of the lake is located in the forest-steppe natural zone.
It freezes in the second half of October - the first half of November, opens in May. The maximum recorded water temperature in summer is 28.3 °C. The climate in the lake Chany - continental. The average temperature in January is -19.7 °C, in July - +18.3 °C. The frost-free period lasts from 115 to 120 days. The average annual rainfall is 380 mm. The height of the snow cover is 20-30 cm.

Legends.

There is a legend that a huge snake lives in this lake, which devours people and livestock.

10. White Lake - the tenth place in the list of "The largest and largest lakes in Russia" (1,290 km 2).

The main characteristics of the White Lake. Table.

Description of the White Lake - the tenth of the largest and largest lakes in Russia.

Location.

White Lake is located in the west Vologda region Russia, between Lake Onega and the Rybinsk reservoir, approximately in the middle between them.
Origin.

Beloe Lake is of tectonic origin, formed as a result of low-amplitude uplifts and subsidences of the earth's crust.

Physical characteristics.

Because of low banks tenth of the largest and largest lakes in Russia, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe reservoir and the coastline have the ability to fluctuate throughout the year. It is very shallow off the coast, in some places the depth does not exceed 1 meter per kilometer. Coastal plants are well developed. The shores are gentle and practically do not have bays and bays, the soils are silty-sandy, there are few rocky ridges.
Form.

White Lake has a rounded shape.

Inflowing and flowing rivers.

About 60 rivers and streams flow into White Lake. The largest tributaries: Kovzha (navigable), Kema, Megra. Only one river flows out - Sheksna, which flows into the Volga.

Climate.

The climate of Belozerye is formed under the influence of air masses of various origins - marine, formed over northern part Atlantic Ocean and Arctic seas, and continental. The geographical position of the lake contributes to the development of increased wind speed. The number of stormy days during the navigation period can reach 100, and 170 per year.

The maximum air temperature can reach, in exceptional cases, 38°C, and the minimum - 50°C.

There is quite a lot of precipitation - the average annual amount is 650 millimeters. The number of rainy days is sometimes 200 per year.

Economic value.

Beloe Lake is located at the crossroads of Russia's most important waterways. Once upon a time, the ancient Vytegorsko-Belozersky waterway passed here. Since 1964, the White Lake of Russia has been part of the Sheksna reservoir, which is part of the Volga-Baltic waterway. The reservoir is also used for water supply of settlements located on its banks.

And they are among the largest lakes in the world.

Lake Ladoga is the largest lake in terms of area. The length of the lake is more than 200 km with an average width of 80 km. The length of its coastline is about 1800 km, that is, 3 times more than the distance between Moscow and. The greatest depth of the lake exceeds 200 m. The shores near the lake are very diverse. The northern one is rocky, processed, all indented with narrow bays that go far into the land. The rest are mostly low and gentle. The lake has over 600 islands. Most of them are located at north coast. The largest of them are Riekkalansari, Mantsinsari, Kilpola, and Valaam. The latter, although the smallest of them, has long been the most famous thanks to the famous Valaam (Preobrazhensky) monastery, which for some time was one of the Russian fortresses. In winter, the lake freezes, and not immediately, but gradually. The winds break open the patches, turning them into chaos of a mixture of supercooled water and broken ice. The ice on the lake is uneven, bumpy, hummocky. The height of ice hummocks in some places reaches the height of a five-story building. The lake is released from the ice captivity in the first decade of May. A small part of the broken ice is carried out of the lake by the Neva River into the Gulf of Finland. The lake is also famous for its winds. There are also severe storms. Not without reason, according to the conditions of navigation, Lake Ladoga is equated to the seas. Class "M" ships go on it - sea.

Lake Onega is the second largest in Europe after Lake Ladoga. Compared to Ladoga, its area is about 2 times smaller, but at the same time it is 50 km longer. The lake has a bizarre shape and resembles an unknown monster with several tentacles, one of which resembles a trunk, and the other a crayfish claw. One of the interpretations of the name of the lake claims that the word "onego" in the Old Finnish language means "smoking lake". This name appeared from the frequent, creeping over the lake. And Ladoga is related not only by the fact that they are the largest in Europe and are located not far from each other. The main thing is that they appeared almost simultaneously, after the retreat of the last glaciers. Large tectonic depressions occupied by lake basins also existed in preglacial times. The advancing glaciers plowed the bottoms of the lake basins, making them more even, and processed the coastal rocks. Thus, according to the method of origin of the basins, the lakes are classified as glacial-tectonic. There are more than one and a half thousand islands within Lake Onega. The shores of most of them are indented with bays and bays, and they themselves are covered with thick. The largest of them are Klimetsky, Suysari. The most famous - Kizhi - is famous for its wooden monuments of folk architecture. Numerous rivers replenish the lake with water. Among them are Shuya, Suna, Andoma, Vytegra. The level of the lake depends on how much water the rivers bring to the basin of the lake. In the spring, when the snow melts, the tributaries become high-water and intensively feed the lake. His level is rising. By the middle of summer, the water level gradually decreases.

Chudsko-Pskovskoe Lake

In terms of size - the third in Europe. Its basin is of glacial origin. The retreating glacier left behind a mass of unsorted material - as a result of which a special, hilly-moraine arose. Relief depressions are usually occupied by lakes. Usually these are small and shallow lakes, of a bizarre shape, with low, often swampy shores. The lake is drain. The river Narva flows from it.

Lake Taimyr

Lake Taimyr is the largest lake in northern Siberia. It is shallow. The prevailing depths are about 4 meters. The lake is covered with ice for about nine months of the year. At the same time, most of it freezes to the bottom. The lake is fed by melt waters brought by rivers. The seasonal rise in water level occurs at the end of June. In spring, the water in the lake is cloudy, but by the end of summer it becomes clear.

Lake Baikal

Baikal is one of the most amazing natural objects on our planet. This is the deepest, the largest in terms of volume of fresh water, and the most unique in terms of the uniqueness of the organic world. There is no other body of water on Earth so large, so far from the ocean. The basin of the lake is of tectonic origin, as evidenced by its elongated shape. The maximum length of the lake is 636 km, and the length of the coastline is 2500 km. On the area occupied by Baikal (31.5 thousand sq. Km), such a state as could be accommodated. The maximum depth of the lake is 1940 m. The volume of water is 23 thousand cubic meters. km - about the same amount of water contains. A huge mass of water keeps heat for a long time and does not freeze for a long time. In December, and sometimes in January, individual ice floes still roam the lake. The lake opens in mid-May. The thickness of the ice by this time reaches one meter. In summer, Baikal is harsh and angry. Winds and storms bring a lot of trouble to ship captains and fishermen. Each of the winds has its own name: barguzin, kultuk, gloss, sarma, siver, shelonnik, etc. Baikal surpasses in the number of stormy days. The height of waves during a storm can reach 4 meters. There are legends about Baikal water. Nowhere in the world is there such soft, chemically pure, oxygen-rich and healthy water. The following fact is interesting: the water in Baikal is fresher than the water of the rivers and streams flowing into it. Each liter contains less than 0.1 g of dissolved minerals - calcium, magnesium, silicon. Due to the small amount of impurities, the water in Baikal is the most transparent in the world. The white disk used to determine the transparency of water is visible to a depth of 40-45 meters. For comparison, we note that in it disappears from the field of view when submerged to 10 meters, in Sevan - to 20 meters, in the Caspian Sea - to 25 meters. In terms of the diversity of the organic world, Baikal can compete with tropical seas. More than 2.5 thousand species of animals and plants live in the lake. At the same time, about 2/3 of them are not found anywhere else. The unique organic world contributes to the preservation of the purity of Baikal waters. Tiny epishura crustaceans filter water through the mesh of their antennae and catch organisms that cause the water to “bloom”. Diatoms extract silicon from the water and build their elegant shells from it. Scientists have calculated that algae take 400-500 thousand tons of silicon annually.

Caspian sea-lake

The Caspian Sea-Lake is located in the south of our country, at the junction between Europe and the Baltic, Yellow. The natural wealth of the reservoir has long attracted many peoples here. Cimmerians, Cumans, Scythians, Sarmatians, Arabs, Turks, Persians, Khazars and many other peoples lived here. Ancient trade routes ran along the Caspian Sea. On them there was a resettlement of the people and there was a trade. Each of the peoples called the Caspian in their own way. The ancient Greeks called it the Hyrcanian or Persian Sea, the Assyrians - the East, the Chinese - the West. Among the Arabs, it was known under the name of the Horosan or Khazar Sea; Tatars called him Ak-Dengiz (). In ancient Russian chronicles, the Caspian Sea was called Khvalynsky or Derbent. Among the many names, one has survived - modern. It comes from a disappeared people - the Caspians (horse breeders) who once lived on its shores. The sea feeds the most big river Europe - . In addition to it, the Urals, Emba, Terek, Kura bring their waters to the Caspian. The water level in the Caspian Sea is subject to large and long fluctuations. And although this feature was noticed in ancient times, the reasons for this have not been fully elucidated. At present, the water level in the Caspian Sea is 27.5 meters below the level of the World Ocean.

This list of 50 breathtakingly beautiful lakes will surely add to your knowledge and broaden your horizons! This is a list of the most famous lakes in the world, but some may not be familiar to you.

Lake Victoria - Lake Victoria
69485 km2 (26828 sq mi). The largest lake in Africa. It is a border lake, and.

Lake Tanganyika - Lake Tanganyika
32,893 km2 (12,700 sq mi). The lake is not only the 6th largest lake in the world, but it is also the second deepest lake in the world at 1,470 m (4,820 ft) and the deepest long lake in the world - 676 ​​km (420 miles). Lake Tanganyika is divided between four countries - Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Zambia.

Moraine Lake, Canada - Moraine Lake

Lake Pinatubo, Philippines - Lake Pinatubo
Formed only recently (in 1991) after the monsoon, this crater lake sits atop Mount Pinatubo, active volcano in the Philippines.

Lake Annette, Canada - Lake Annette

Laguna Colorada, Bolivia - Wikiwand Laguna Colorada, Bolivia
Located 4,200 meters above sea level in southwestern Bolivia, Laguna Colorada gets its bright red color from pigment deposits and algae beneath its surface. It is an extremely shallow lake with an average depth of 50 cm.

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia /
Located in Croatia, the Plitvice Lakes are actually 16 separate bodies of water, and are divided into upper and lower basins of natural dams made up of moss and algae.

Spotted Lake or Kliluk (Spotted Lake), Canada
In Osoyoos, British Columbia, a natural phenomenon, covering an area of ​​38 acres, is a lake with one of the highest concentrations of minerals in the world.

Dead Sea, Jordan /
The name can be deceiving - in fact, this is the deepest hypermineralized lake in the world. It has a salt concentration 8 times that of the ocean, making it extremely difficult to drown.

Sheosar Lake, Pakistan
Lake of Deosai National Park, in the alpine steppe of the Tibetan Plateau.

Riffelsee, Switzerland
The Riffelsee is an incredible view of a mirrored surface with the Matterhorn in the background.

Peyto Lake, Canada
Peyto Lake is a glacial lake in the Canadian Banff National Park. rocky mountains. Bill Peyto belongs to the category of colored lakes. The lake has a bright turquoise color, due to the large amount of icy mountain flour sliding into the lake.

Lake Solbjornvannet, Norway

Mirror Lake, California - Mirror Lake - small seasonal lake at Tenaya Creek Canyon in Yosemite National Park USA.

New Zealand also has Mirror Lake, which has amazing reflective properties, like a mirror. It is one of the great lakes of Asia: Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan), Uhua-Khai (China), Inle (Myanmar), Biwa (Japan), Tonle Sap (Cambodia) and Lake Toba in Sumatra (Indonesia).

Horseshoe Lake, Canada - Horseshoe Lake

emerald lake, Canada - Emerald Lake

Lake Plastiras, Greece - Lake Plastira - Lake Plastiras, Greece
An artificial lake in Greece holds up to 400 million cubic liters of fresh water and is one of the highest in Europe.

Mystic Lake, Montana - Mystic Lake
The largest lake in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana offers several world famous hiking trails and incredible views.

Yamdrok Tso Lake, Tibet - Yamdrok Tso Lake
This lake in Tibet has over 72 km of peaks and is surrounded by snowy mountains.

Lake Malawi, Tanzania - Lake Malawi / Malawi and Mozambique (Malawi and Mozambique) 30044 km2 (11600 square miles). The lake is divided between Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. Africa's second deepest lake, this tropical reservoir has more species fish than any other lake on Earth.

Lake Louise, Canada

Lake Isabella, Colorado - Lake Isabelle, Colorado
Popular tourist destination, Isabel Lake is an incredible view of the Navajo and Apache peaks.

Crater Lake, Oregon - Crater Lake, Oregon

Barclay Lake, Washington - Barclay Lake, Washinton

Mono Lake, California - Mono Lake
This shallow desert lake of California's Mono County was formed over 760,000 years ago, and has an ecosystem very similar to the Colorada Lagoon.

ancient underground lake reed flute, China - Reed Flute Cave. This is a limestone cave in Guangxi, China. Age over 180 million years. Since the 1940s, it has become famous all over the world because of the colorful caves around the lake.

Loch Rea(Loch RI or Loch Ríbh) - geographic center Ireland, midlands. Loch Ree is the second largest lake on the River Shannon after Loch Derg. The other two major lakes are Loch Allen to the north, and Loch Derg to the south. The province of Leinster in County Roscommon Lake is popular with Irish monster legends.

Loch Ness lake(Loch Ness, Scotland) Scotland. Loch Ness (Gaelic: Loch Nis) is the second largest Scottish lake in terms of surface area after Loch Lomond, but due to its great depth, it is the largest lake in Scotland by volume of water. deep, freshwater lake A loch in Scotland is located approximately 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Inverness. The lake is known for its Loch Ness monster. Also of interest to tourists is Urquhart Castle east of Drumnadrochit, the lighthouses at Lochend (Bona Lighthouse) and Fort Augusta.

Lake Okanagan is a large, deep lake in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada. The lake is 135 km long and 4-5 km wide. His interesting feature the legend about the Demon of Lake Ogopogo or Naitaka, and the famous terraces, which are formed due to the periodic lowering of the predecessor, glacial lake Penticton. The maximum depth of the lake is 232 m in the area of ​​Grant Island (called "Whiskey Island" or "Seagull Island" by the locals)

Lake Labynkyr(Labynkyr Lake), Yakutia
This mystical lake is located near the Pole of Cold in the territory of Oymyakon uluss. Legends say that a monster lives deep in the water. It attacks dogs, deer and even humans. History tells how once a monster destroyed an Even caravan.

Lake Kanas(pinyin: Kanasi Hu) in the shape of a crescent is a lake in the Altai Prefecture of Xinjiang Province, China. The lake is located in a valley in the Altai mountains, on the border with, Mongolia and. The lake was formed 200,000 years ago, during the Quaternary period, as a result of the movement of a glacier. The Kanas River, flowing out of the lake, merges with the Hemu River, forming the Burkin River, which itself is a tributary of the Irtysh River. Ethnic Tuvans and Kazakhs live in the Kanas Valley.

Lake Kok-Kol(Kok-Kol lake) Mysterious lake in Zhambyl region, Kazakhstan. From time to time, the mysterious lake makes some strange sounds, and sometimes you can see signs of ripples, as if a huge creature is drifting inside the lake. Locals believe that the lake is bottomless. Indeed, when hydrographers measured its depth, they could not find the bottom. But, they discovered many channels. This explains the constant water level, despite the fact that nothing flows from the lake and does not flow into it.

Aral Sea(Kazakh: Aral Tenizі; Mongolian: Aral tengis; Tajik: Bahri Aral; Persian: دریای خوارزم Daryâ- you Khârazm) was a closed lake between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan in the south. The name translates roughly as "sea of ​​islands" (more than 1100 islands were scattered on its waters). The catchment covers parts of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Formerly one of the four largest lakes in the world with an area of ​​68,000 km2 (26,300 sq mi), the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed the lake were redirected based on Soviet irrigation projects. The drying up of the Aral Sea is called "one of the worst environmental disasters on the planet"

Lake Storshen(Swedish pronunciation: Storsjön, lit. "Great Lake") is the fifth largest lake in Sweden, located in the province of Jämtland (Jämtland). From Storsjön flows the river Indalsälven and the lake contains the main island Frösön. The city of Östersund lies on its eastern bank, opposite Frösön. Storsjön is considered to be the birthplace of the sea creatures Storsjöodjuret.

Lake Champlain— Lake Champlain lies directly on Burlington, the border between the US and Canada. At the northern end is the historically interesting Fort Ticonderoga. On Lake Champlain cruises and ferries to Vermont and New York.

Lake Natron is saline and soda lake in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania. The lake is located near the Kenyan border in the eastern rift branch of the East African Wetlands of International Importance. Lake Natron is a basin in the Ramsar Valley, fed mainly by central Kenya's rivers and hot springs. The unusual color of the water is created by cyanobacteria. Because of the high evaporation rates, salt-loving microorganisms begin to thrive.

Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake North America known for its cobalt blue waters and surrounding snowy peaks. Lake Tahoe - state border between the states of California and Nevada, and the popular resort of the Sierra Nevada.

Lake Lucerne- among the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland, it stands out with its amazing panorama of the snow-capped peaks of the Alps, such as the Eiger and the Jungfrau. The lake is served by vintage steamboats that have been plying here since the 1800s. In spring, the Lake Lucerne basin is fed by Mineralbad streams from the top of Mount Rigi.

pigeon lake(Dove Lake) in Tasmania, Australia. Serene Dove Lake - attraction national park near Cradle Mountain. This lake is the home of the legendary Tasmanian Devil.

Lake Como, Italy - Just 45 minutes from bustling Milan. Lake Como is one of the favorite vacation spots of the rich and famous.

Lake Bled- one of the most charming sights of the Old Continent. Lake Bled of the Julian Alps (Slovene: Bled, German: Veldes) is located in Slovenia, near the borders with Italy and Austria.

Lake Synevyr- the largest and most famous lake in the Ukrainian Carpathians. The lake is located in the Gorgany mountain range, in the upper reaches of the Terebly River. The lake has its own beautiful legend about lovers.

In the list of the most famous lakes of the world, by right, the unnamed may enter:

• Ohrid Lake Balkan mountains(located between the Republic of Macedonia and Albania)
• Lake Saimaa (Finland)
• Ladoga/Onega/Chudskoe (Russia)
• Balaton (Hungary)
• Annecy (France)
• Garda / Iseo (Italy)
• Wastwater (England)
• Sogne (Norway)
• Killarney (Ireland)
• Hallstattersee (Austria)
• Königsee / Obersi (Germany)
• Jokulsadlon (Iceland)
• Laguna Verde (Bolivia)
• Lençois Maranhenses (Brazil)
• Nakuru (Kenya)
• Tekapo (New Zealand)
• Lagunas Altiplánicas (Chile)
• Laguna Bacalar (Mexico) and many others.

There are more than two million freshwater and salt lakes in Russia. The largest lakes in the European part of the country include Ladoga (17.87 thousand km²) and Onega (9.72 thousand km²) in the northwest, Lake Peipsi (3.55 thousand km²) on the Estonian border, as well as the Rybinsk reservoir ( 4.58 thousand km²) on the Volga north of Moscow.

Narrow lakes from 160 to 320 km in length are located behind the dams on the Don, Volga and Kama. In Siberia, similar artificial lakes are located on the upper Yenisei and its tributary, the Angara, where the Bratsk reservoir, 570 km long, is one of the largest in the world. But they are all insignificant compared to Lake Baikal, the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet. With a length of 636 km and an average width of 50 km, the surface area of ​​Lake Baikal is 31.72 thousand km², and the maximum depth is 1642 m.

There are countless smaller lakes, located mainly in the poorly drained lowlands of the Russian and West Siberian Plains, especially in more northern regions. Some of them reach significant sizes, in particular, Lake Beloe (1.29 thousand km²), Topozero (0.98 thousand km²), Vygozero (0.56 thousand km²) and Lake Ilmen (0.98 thousand km²) on the territory of the European north-west of the country, and Lake Chany (1.4-2 thousand km²) in south-west Siberia.

List of the largest lakes in Russia

We present to your attention the 10 largest lakes of the Russian Federation with a description, photo and geographical location on the map of the country.

Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland water body (area: 371 thousand km²). It is called a sea, not a lake, because the ancient Romans who arrived in this region discovered that its water was salty and named it the sea after the tribes of the Caspian who lived near the shores of the lake. The Caspian Sea borders the following five countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Iran. The main river feeding the lake is the Volga, which provides about 80% of the inflow of the Caspian Sea, and the remaining 20% ​​falls on other smaller rivers.

The Caspian Sea is rich in oil and natural gas deposits, but these are under development. Also, the extraction process is hindered by the problem of dividing the natural resources of the lake between the five countries bordering it. About 160 species and subspecies of fish from 60 genera live in the Caspian Sea and the deltas of the rivers flowing into it. About 62% of the species are endemic.

Baikal

Baikal is the deepest (1642 m), the oldest (25-35 million years) and the most voluminous (23.6 thousand km³) of all lakes in the world, it is a superstar reservoir in the field of hydrology, geology, ecology and history. Today, Lake Baikal contains about 20 percent of the fresh water on the Earth's surface, which is comparable in volume to the entire Amazon River basin. Baikal has 27 islands, including one over 70 km long (Olkhon Island).

More than 1,500 species of animals live off the shores of the lake, 80% of which are found nowhere else on the planet. The most famous representative of the Baikal fauna is the seal, which lives exclusively in fresh water. According to some reports, the population of seals is about 100,000 individuals. Also near the lake there are such large predators as wolves, which occupy the top positions of the Siberian food chain, feeding on deer, birds, rodents and smaller predators.

Ladoga lake

Lake Ladoga is the largest freshwater lake in Europe, located in the north-west of Russia, 40 km east of St. Petersburg. The area of ​​the lake is 17.87 thousand km², the volume is 838 km³, and the maximum depth at a point to the west of Valaam Island it reaches 230 m.

The depression of the lake appeared under the influence of glaciers. The northern shores are mostly high and rocky, and are also separated by deep, ice-covered bays. southern shores have many sandy or rocky beaches, mostly low, slightly concave, overgrown with willow and alder. In some places there are ancient coastal embankments covered with pine trees. The largest tributaries are the Volkhov, Svir and Vuoksa rivers.

48 different species of fish were found in the lake, of which the most common are roach, carp, bream, pike perch, perch and smelt. Of the 48 species, 25 are of commercial importance and 11 are in the important food fish category.

Lake Ladoga also serves key point stops for migratory birds of the North Atlantic Flyway, which usually mark the arrival of spring.

Lake Onega

Lake Onega is the second largest lake in Europe, located in the north-west of the European part of Russia, between Lake Ladoga and the White Sea. It covers an area of ​​9.72 thousand km², 248 km long and up to 83 km wide. The greatest depth is about 127 m.

The basin of the lake was formed by the movement of the earth's crust and glaciers. The high rocky shores in the north and northwest are composed of layered granite and covered with forest. There are deep bays in Petrozavodsk, Kondopoga and Pevenets. The southern shores are narrow, sandy, often swampy or flooded. Lake Onega has about 1650 islands, covering a total of about 260 km², usually in the northern and northwestern bays.

The lake is home to over 40 species of fish, including vendace (a small member of the salmon family), smelt, burbot bream, pike, perch, roach and salmon. Many types of fish have significant economic value.

Taimyr

Taimyr - the second (after Baikal) largest lake in the Asian part of Russia, located in central regions the Taimyr Peninsula. It is located south of the Byrranga mountains, in the zone.

The lake and tundra zone is a popular destination for birds such as geese, swans, ducks, buzzards, peregrine falcons and snowy owls. Lives in Lake Taimyr a large number of fish, including grayling, muksun, char and whitefish. Although the area is relatively remote, depletion of stocks of certain commercial fish species is still observed.

Taimyr is famous for the largest population of reindeer in Eurasia. Also in this region there are such animals as argali, arctic fox, wolf and lemmings. In 1975, the area was re-introduced.

Since 1983, the lake and its environs have been included in the Taimyr nature reserve. Scientists have discovered plutonium in the sediments of the lake, which allegedly entered Taimyr through wind-blown radioactive particles after nuclear testing held on Novaya Zemlya during the Cold War.

Khanka

Lake Khanka has an area of ​​4 thousand km², of which approximately 97% is located in Russia. The maximum depth of the lake is 10.6 m, and the average volume is 18.3 km². The lake is fed by 23 rivers, 8 of which are in China, and the rest in the territory of the Russian Federation. The only outflow is the Sungacha River, which flows east to the Ussuri River, which forms the international border, and flows north where it joins the Amur River.

Khanka is famous for being home to the highest diversity of birds in the entire temperate zone of Eurasia. At least 327 species of nesting, wintering and migratory birds have been sighted in the lake area.

Chudsko-Pskovskoe Lake

Lake Peipus-Pskovskoye is the largest transboundary and fifth (after Ladoga, Onega, Swedish Venern and Finnish Saim) lake in Europe, located on the border between Estonia and Russia. It occupies 3.6% of the total area of ​​the Baltic Sea basin. A total of 30 islands are located on Lake Peipsi, and another 40 in the delta of the Velikaya River. Most of them rise only 1-2 m above the water level, and often suffer from floods.

About 54 species of coastal aquatic plants grow in the basin of Lake Peipus-Pskov, including reed, calamus, reeds and various herbs. 42 species of fish live in the waters of the lake, such as smelt, vendace, bream, perch, pike, roach and whitefish. Wetlands serve as important nesting and feeding grounds for migratory birds such as swans, geese and ducks that migrate from White Sea to the Baltic Sea. The region is home to one of the largest swallow colonies in Estonia.

Ubsu-Nur

Ubsu-Nur is the largest lake in Mongolia in terms of surface area (3.35 thousand km²), as well as the largest salt Lake in the country. The Ubsu-Nur basin is one of the most important biodiversity poles of Eurasia. Although most of the lake is in Mongolia, its northeastern shores are located in the Tyva Republic of the Russian Federation.

The lake is shallow, very salty, and is the remnant big sea that existed several thousand years ago. The basin covers an area of ​​about 70 thousand km² and is one of the best preserved natural steppe landscapes on the continent. It is here that the northernmost part of the desert and the most South part tundra.

Reed and freshwater river deltas serve as resting and nesting sites for numerous migratory birds. Over 220 species of birds can be found around the lake, including the black stork, osprey, white-tailed eagle, whooper, and black-headed gull. About 29 different species of fish live in the waters of the lake, one of which is suitable for human consumption. mountainous area serves as a home for Mongolian gerbils, wild sheep and Siberian ibex.

vats

Although Lake Chany is not well known outside of Siberia, it is one of the most big lakes countries. Chany is a shallow lake with salty and constantly fluctuating water, the level of which can vary from season to season and from year to year. The lands of the lake basin serve as pastures for cattle.

Tanks play an important role in the region's fisheries. The most common species are silver carp, carp, ide, perch. IN Lately there is a trend of depletion of fish stocks of the lake.

Lake Beloe

By area, Beloye is the second (after Onega) natural lake Vologda region, and the third (after the Rybinsk reservoir). It is one of the ten largest natural lakes in Europe. The lake has a relatively round shape with a diameter of 46 km. Its area is 1.29 thousand km², and the basin area is about 14 thousand km².

The lake is famous for its fish stocks, the most famous delicacy is the Belozersky smelt. The forage base and high level of oxygen create favorable conditions for the life of many species. The following fish species are common in the waters of the lake: perch, pike, bream, ruff, sabrefish, roach, bleak, burbot, chub, rudd, whitefish, ide, tench, asp, dace and gudgeon).

Table of 10 largest lakes in Russia