home Schengen List, names, descriptions, maps and photos of the largest lakes in Russia. The most famous lakes in Russia

List, names, descriptions, maps and photos of the largest lakes in Russia. The most famous lakes in Russia

Lakes of Russia are one of the national treasures of our Motherland. They can be large and small, freshwater and salty, deep and shallow. Let's figure out what largest lakes in Russia and why!

The Caspian Sea is

Not only in Russia, but throughout the entire Earth. It is located on the border of Asia and Europe and washes the shores of 5 countries (Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan). The area of the Caspian Sea is approximately 371,000 square kilometers, with a maximum depth of 1025 meters. The waters of this lake are salty. According to one theory, the Caspian Sea got its name thanks to the ancient tribes - the Caspians, who lived on the southwest coast.

This is the deepest (about 1640 meters) lake on our planet, located in eastern Siberia. The area of Baikal is more than 31,700 square kilometers and it is the largest reservoir of fresh water (90% of Russia's fresh water reserves). It is also worth noting that the waters of this lake are unusually clean and transparent, and in ancient times they were considered healing.

Lake Ladoga lies on the territory of the Leningrad region and Karelia. Its area is more than 17.6 thousand square kilometers, and its greatest depth is 230 meters, it is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe. 35 rivers flow into Lake Ladoga, and the Neva originates. It is home to about 60 species of fish, half of which are of industrial importance.

This lake is located on the territory of Karelia, Vologda and Leningrad regions. The area of Lake Onega is about 9,700 square kilometers, with its greatest depth being 127 meters. “Onego-father” - as this lake is popularly called, is famous for its clean water and many historical monuments located on its shores.

Taimyr Lake is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory on the Taimyr Peninsula and is the northernmost in the world. For most of the year, this lake is covered with ice. Due to fluctuations in water levels, the area of this lake can change and reach 4,560 square kilometers, and the maximum depth can reach 26 meters. The flora of Taimyr is represented by Arctic fish species.

This lake is located in the Russian Far East and borders China. The greatest depth of Lake Khanka is about 11 meters, and its area is 4,070 square kilometers. Due to its location, it attracts a large number of tourists who can get acquainted with the culture and customs of two countries at once. About 75 species of fish live in the waters of this lake, and even some of them are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

Chany is a salt lake located in the Novosibirsk region. The area of the lake, according to various sources, varies from 1400 to 2000 square kilometers, and its greatest depth is 7 meters. There have long been legends about this lake, one of which says that a huge snake lives in it, devouring people and livestock. Of course, there is no scientific evidence or information for this; perhaps this is just a legend created to attract tourists.

This lake is located in the Vologda region. The area of this lake varies, mainly due to its low banks, and is approximately 1,284 square kilometers. The average depth of White Lake is about 5-7 meters, but due to underwater holes it can reach 10-12 meters. This lake is home to about 29 species of fish, making it a fisherman's paradise.

Topozero is located in the north of Karelia, in the Loukhsky district. The lake has a winding coastline, and its area is 986 square kilometers, with a maximum depth of up to 56 meters. Topozero is a favorite place for kayakers, and especially fishermen.

This lake is located in the Novgorod region of Russia. The area of Lake Ilmen is 982 square kilometers, but depending on the water level it can vary. Its maximum depth can reach up to 10 meters. There are many legends associated with the name of this lake, among which there is a myth about the Scythian princes Ruse and Slovene, who named this lake in honor of their sister, Ilmera.

This is not the entire list of lakes located on the vast territory of our Motherland.

- a body of water formed on the surface of the land in a natural depression. Since the lake does not have a direct connection with the ocean, it is a body of slow water exchange.

The total area of lakes on the globe is about 2.7 million km 3, which is 1.8% of the land surface.

Main characteristics of the lake:

lake area - water surface area;
coastline length - water edge length;
lake length - the shortest distance between the two most distant points on the coastline, average width - area to length ratio;
lake volume - volume of the basin filled with water;
average depth - ratio of water mass volume to area;
maximum depth - is found by direct measurements.

The largest lake on Earth by water surface area is the Caspian (376 thousand km 2 at a water level of 28 m), and the deepest is Baikal (1620 m).

The characteristics of the largest lakes in the world are given in table. 1.

Each lake has three interconnected components: the basin, the water mass, the vegetation and fauna of the reservoir.

Lakes of the world

By position In the lake basin, lakes are divided into above-ground and underground. The latter are sometimes filled with juvenile water. The subglacial lake in Antarctica can also be classified as an underground lake.

Lake basins could be like endogenous, so exogenous origin, which most significantly affects their size, shape, and water regime.

The largest lake basins. They can be located in tectonic depressions (Ilmen), in foothill and intermountain troughs, in grabens (Baikal, Nyasa, Tanganyika). Most large lake basins have a complex tectonic origin; both fault and fold movements are involved in their formation (Issyk-Kul, Balkhash, Victoria, etc.). All tectonic lakes are large in size, and most have significant depths and steep rocky slopes. The bottoms of many deep lakes lie below the level of the World Ocean, and the surface of the lake lies above the level. Certain patterns are observed in the location of tectonic lakes: they are concentrated along faults in the earth’s crust or in rift zones (Syrian-African, Baikal), or frame shields: along the Canadian shield are located the Great Bear Lake, the Great Slave Lake, the Great North American Lakes, along the Baltic Shield — Onega, Ladoga, etc.

Lake name	Maximum surface area, thousand km 2	Altitude above sea level, m	Maximum depth, m
Caspian Sea
				North America
Victoria
				North America
				North America
Aral Sea
Tanganyika

Nyasa (Malawi)
Big Bear				North America
Great Slave				North America
				North America

Winnipeg				North America

				North America
Ladoga
Maracaibo				South America
Bangweulu

Onega
Tonle Sap

Nicaragua				North America
Titicaca				South America
Athabasca				North America
				North America
Issyk-Kul
Bolshoye Solenoye				North America
				Australia

Volcanic lakes occupy craters and calderas of extinct volcanoes (Kronopkoye Lake in Kamchatka, lakes in Java, New Zealand).

Along with lake basins created by internal processes of the Earth, there are very numerous lake baths formed due to exogenous processes.

Among them the most common glacial lakes on the plains and in the mountains, located both in basins plowed by glaciers and in depressions between hills with uneven deposition of moraine. The lakes of Karelia and Finland, which are elongated in the direction of glacier movement from northwest to southeast along tectonic cracks, owe their origin to the destructive activity of ancient glaciers. In fact, Ladoga, Onega and other lakes have a mixed glacial-tectonic origin. Glacial basins in the mountains include numerous, but small carts lakes located in bowl-shaped depressions on mountain slopes below the snow line (in the Alps, Caucasus, Altai), and trogous lakes - in trough-shaped glacial valleys in the mountains.

The uneven accumulation of glacial deposits on the plains is associated with lakes among hilly and moraine terrain: in the north-west of the East European Plain, especially in the Valdai Upland, in the Baltic states, Poland, Germany, Canada and the northern USA. These lakes are usually shallow, wide, with lobed shores, with islands (Seliger, Valdai, etc.). In the mountains, such lakes arose on the site of former glacier tongues (Como, Garda, Würm in the Alps). In areas of ancient glaciations, there are numerous lakes in the hollows of the runoff of melted glacial waters; they are elongated, trough-shaped, usually small and shallow (for example, Dolgoe, Krugloe - near Moscow).

Karst lakes are formed in places where rocks are leached by underground and partly surface waters. They are deep, but small, often round in shape (in the Crimea, the Caucasus, in the Dinaric and other mountainous regions).

Suffosion lakes are formed in basins of subsidence origin at the site of intensive removal of fine earth and mineral particles by groundwater (southern Western Siberia).

Thermokarst Lakes appear when permafrost soil melts or ice melts. Thanks to them, the Kolyma Lowland is one of the most lake regions in Russia. Many relict thermokarst lake basins are located in the north-west of the East European Plain in the former periglacial zone.

Aeolian lakes arise in blowing basins (Lake Teke in Kazakhstan).

Zaprudnye lakes are formed in the mountains, often after earthquakes, as a result of landslides and landslides blocking river valleys (Lake Sarez in the Murghab valley in the Pamirs).

In the valleys of lowland rivers, the most numerous are floodplain oxbow lakes of a characteristic horseshoe shape, formed as a result of meandering of rivers and subsequent straightening of channels; when rivers dry up, river lakes are formed in bochagas - reaches; in river deltas there are small ilmen lakes, in place of channels, often overgrown with reeds and reeds (ilmen lakes of the Volga delta, lakes of the Kuban flood plains).

On the low-lying coasts of the seas, coastal lakes are typical in place of estuaries and lagoons, if the latter are separated from the sea by sandy alluvial bridges: spits, bars.

A special type is organogenic lakes among swamps and coral buildings.

These are the main genetic types of lake basins, determined by natural processes. Their location on the continents is presented in Table. 2. But recently, more and more “man-made” lakes created by man have appeared - so-called anthropogenic lakes: lakes - reservoirs on rivers, lakes - ponds in quarries, in salt mines, on the site of peat mining.

By genesis of water masses There are two types of lakes. Some have water of atmospheric origin: precipitation, river and groundwater. Such lakes fresh, although in dry climates they may eventually become salty.

Other lakes were part of the World Ocean - these are relict salty lakes (Caspian, Aral). But even in such lakes, primary sea water can be greatly transformed and even completely displaced and replaced by atmospheric waters (Ladozhskoye, etc.).

Table 2. Distribution of the main genetic groups of lakes by continent and part of the world

Genetic groups of lakes	Continents and parts of the world
Genetic groups of lakes	Western Europe	Foreign Asia	North America	South America	Australia
Glacial
Glacial-tectonic
Tectonic
Volcanic
Karst
Residual
Lagoon
Floodplain

Depending from water balance, t.s. According to the conditions of inflow and outflow, lakes are divided into drainage and drainageless. Lakes that discharge part of their waters in the form of river runoff - sewage; a special case of them are flowing lakes. Many rivers can flow into the lake, but only one flows out (the Angara from Lake Baikal, the Neva from Lake Ladoga, etc.). Lakes that do not drain into the World Ocean - drainless(Caspian, Aral, Bolshoye Solenoye). The water level in such lakes is subject to fluctuations of varying duration, which is primarily due to long-term and seasonal climate changes. At the same time, the morphometric characteristics of lakes and the properties of water masses change. This is especially noticeable on lakes in arid regions, which promise long cycles of climate moisture and aridity.

Lake waters, like other natural waters, are characterized by different chemical compositions and varying degrees of mineralization.

Based on the composition of salts in the water, lakes are divided into three types: carbonate, sulfate, and chloride.

By degree of mineralization lakes are divided into fresh(less than 1%o), brackish(1-24.7%c), salty(24.7-47%o) and mineral(more than 47%c). An example of a fresh lake is Baikal, the salinity of which is 0.1%, brackish - Caspian sea water - 12-13%, Bolshoye Solenoye - 137-300%, Dead Sea - 260-270%, in some years - up to 310%c.

The distribution of lakes with varying degrees of mineralization on the earth's surface shows geographic zonality, determined by the moisture coefficient. In addition, those lakes into which rivers flow are characterized by low salinity.

However, the degree of mineralization can vary within the same lake. For example, in the closed lake Balkhash, located in an arid zone, in the western part, where the river flows. Or, the water is fresh, but in the eastern part, which is connected to the western part only by a narrow (4 km) shallow strait, the water is brackish.

When lakes become oversaturated, salts begin to precipitate from the brine and crystallize. Such mineral lakes are called self-planting(for example, Elton, Baskunchak). Mineral lakes in which lamellar fine needles are deposited are known as mud.

Plays an important role in the life of lakes thermal regime.

Freshwater lakes in the hot thermal zone are characterized by the warmest water at the surface, which gradually decreases with depth. This temperature distribution over depth is called direct thermal stratification. Lakes in the cold thermal zone have the coldest (about 0 °C) and lightest water at the top almost all year round; With depth, the water temperature increases (up to 4°C), the water becomes denser and heavier. This temperature distribution over depth is called reverse thermal stratification. Lakes in the temperate thermal zone have variable stratification by season: direct in summer, reverse in winter. In spring and autumn there come moments when the vertical temperature is the same (4 °C) at different depths. The phenomenon of constant temperature over depth is called homothermy(spring and autumn).

The annual thermal cycle in temperate lakes is divided into four periods: spring heating (from 0 to 4 °C) is due to convective mixing; summer heating (from 4 °C to maximum temperature) - by molecular thermal conductivity; autumn cooling (from maximum temperature to 4 °C) - by convective mixing; winter cooling (from 4 to 0 °C) - again by molecular thermal conductivity.

In the winter period, freezing lakes have the same three phases as rivers: freezing, freezing, opening. The process of ice formation and melting is similar to rivers. Lakes tend to be covered with ice for 2-3 weeks longer than rivers in the region. The thermal regime of freezing salt lakes resembles that of seas and oceans.

Dynamic phenomena in lakes include currents, waves and seiches. Discharge currents occur when a river flows into a lake and water flows out of the lake into the river. In flowing lakes they can be traced throughout the entire water area of the lake, in non-flowing lakes - in areas adjacent to the mouth or source of the river.

The height of the waves on the lake is less, but the steepness is greater compared to the seas and oceans.

The movement of water in lakes, along with dense convection, promotes mixing of water, penetration of oxygen into the lower layers, and uniform distribution of nutrients, which is important for the very diverse inhabitants of lakes.

By nutritional properties of water mass and the conditions for the development of life, lakes are divided into three biological types: oligotrophic, eutrophic, dystrophic.

Oligotrophic- low-nutrient lakes. These are large, deep, transparent lakes with greenish-blue water, rich in oxygen, so organic residues are intensively mineralized. Due to the small amount of nutrients, they are poor in plankton. Life is not rich, but there are fish and crustaceans. These are many mountain lakes, Baikal, Geneva, etc.

Eutrophic the lakes have a high content of nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, are shallow (up to 1015 m), well heated, with brownish-green water. The oxygen content decreases with depth, which is why fish and other animals die in winter. The bottom is peaty or muddy with an abundance of organic residues. In summer, water blooms occur due to the strong development of phytoplankton. The lakes have a rich flora and fauna. They are most common in forest-steppe and steppe zones.

Dystrophic the lakes are poor in nutrients and oxygen and are shallow. The water in them is acidic, slightly transparent, and brown due to the abundance of humic acids. The bottom is peaty, there is little phytoplankton and higher aquatic vegetation, as well as animals. These lakes are common in heavily swampy areas.

In the last decade, due to the increased supply of phosphorus and nitrogen compounds from fields, as well as the discharge of wastewater from some industrial enterprises, eutrophication of lakes has been observed. The first sign of this unfavorable phenomenon is a strong bloom of blue-green algae, then the amount of oxygen in the reservoir decreases, silt forms, and hydrogen sulfide appears. All this will create unfavorable living conditions for fish, waterfowl, etc.

Evolution of lakes occurs in different ways in humid and dry climates: in the first case they gradually turn into swamps, in the second - into salt marshes.

In a humid (humid) climate, the leading role in filling the lake and turning it into a swamp belongs to vegetation, partly to the remains of the animal population, which together form organic remains. Temporary streams and rivers bring mineral deposits. Small lakes with gentle shores are overgrown by pushing vegetation ecological zones from the periphery to the center. Eventually the lake becomes a grassy, low-lying marsh.

Deep lakes with steep banks overgrow differently: by growing from above alloys(swell) - a layer of living and dead plants. It is based on plants with long rhizomes (cinquefoil, cinquefoil, whitewing), and other herbaceous plants and even shrubs (alder, willow) settle on the network of rhizomes. The float first appears on the shores, protected from the wind, where there is no waves, and gradually advances onto the lake, increasing in power. Some plants die and fall to the bottom, forming peat. Gradually, only “windows” of water remain in the raft, and then they disappear, although the basin is not yet filled with sediments, and only over time the raft closes with the peat layer.

In dry climates, lakes eventually become salt marshes. This is facilitated by an insignificant amount of precipitation, intense evaporation, a decrease in the influx of river water, and the deposition of solid sediments brought by rivers and dust storms. As a result, the water mass of the lake decreases, the level decreases, the area decreases, the concentration of salts increases, and even a fresh lake can turn first into a salt lake (the Great Salt Lake in North America) and then into a salt marsh.

Lakes, especially large ones, have a softening effect on the climate of the surrounding areas: they are warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Thus, at coastal weather stations near Lake Baikal the temperature in winter is 8-10 °C higher, and in summer by 6-8 °C lower than at stations outside the influence of the lake. Air humidity near the lake is higher due to increased evaporation.

When we all hear the word “lake,” we imagine some quiet body of water surrounded by a visible shoreline. There will be no such lakes in this article. Have you ever heard of lakes that are subject to storm surges and are larger than some seas?

I present to your attention a selection of “the largest lakes in the world,” which includes the 10 largest lakes. Read, rate, leave comments and feedback in discussions.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.03.2016 15:06

The largest lake in the world- Caspian Sea.

The Caspian Sea tops the ranking - despite the fact that it is called a sea, in fact it is the largest endorheic lake on the planet. It is located at the junction of Europe and Asia, and is called a sea only because of its size. The Caspian Sea is an endorheic lake, and the water in it is salty, from 0.05 ‰ near the mouth of the Volga to 11-13 ‰ in the southeast.

The Caspian Sea is shaped like the Latin letter S, its length from north to south is approximately 1200 kilometers, from west to east - from 195 to 435 kilometers, on average 310-320 kilometers.

The Caspian Sea is conventionally divided according to physical and geographical conditions into 3 parts - the Northern Caspian, the Middle Caspian and the Southern Caspian. The conditional border between the Northern and Middle Caspian Seas runs along the line Chechen (island) - Tyub-Karagansky Cape, between the Middle and Southern Caspian Seas - along the line Zhilaya (island) - Gan-Gulu (cape). The area of the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian Sea is respectively 25, 36, 39 percent of the total area of the Caspian Sea.

The length of the coastline of the Caspian Sea is estimated at approximately 6,500 - 6,700 kilometers, with islands - up to 7,000 kilometers. The shores of the Caspian Sea in most of its territory are low-lying and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is indented by water channels and islands of the Volga and Ural deltas, the banks are low and swampy, and the water surface in many places is covered with thickets.

The east coast is dominated by limestone shores adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding shores are on the western coast in the area of the Absheron Peninsula and on the eastern coast in the area of the Kazakh Gulf and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.

The territory adjacent to the Caspian Sea is called the Caspian region.

Area and volume of water Caspian Sea varies significantly depending on fluctuations in water level. At a water level of 26.75 m, the area is approximately 371,000 km square kilometers, the volume of water is 78,648 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 44 percent of the world's lake water reserves. The maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression, 1025 meters from its surface level. In terms of maximum depth, the Caspian Sea is second only to Baikal (1620 m) and Tanganyika (1435 m). The average depth of the Caspian Sea is 208 meters. At the same time, the northern part of the Caspian Sea is shallow, its maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters, and the average depth is 4 meters.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.03.2016 15:19

Confidently secured second place among lake superior- the largest, deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes and, concurrently, the largest freshwater lake in the world.

In the north, Lake Superior is bounded by the Canadian province of Ontario, in the west by the American state of Minnesota, and in the south by the states of Wisconsin and Michigan.

The basins of Lake Superior and the northern part of Lake Huron were developed in the crystalline rocks of the southern part of the Canadian Shield, the basins of the remaining lakes were developed in the limestone, dolomite and sandstone of the Paleozoic North American Platform. The basin of Lake Superior was formed as a result of tectonic movements, pre-glacial river and glacial erosion.

The origin of the water mass of Lake Superior is associated with the melting of the ice sheet, during the retreat of which a number of large lakes were formed in this area, which repeatedly changed their outlines.

In the northern part of the Great Lakes, the coastline is dissected, the islands and shores (up to 400 m high) are rocky, steep, very picturesque, especially the shores of Lake Superior and the northern part of Lake Huron.

Fluctuations in the level of Lake Superior are artificially regulated for the purposes of navigation, energy, etc. The amplitude of seasonal fluctuations is 30-60 cm, the highest level is observed in summer, the lowest in winter. Short-term fluctuations in level caused by strong surge winds and seiches reach 3-4 m, tidal height is 3-4 cm

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.03.2016 15:26

The third is Lake Victoria, a lake in East Africa, in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Located in the tectonic trough of the East African Platform, at an altitude of 1134 m. It is the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world after Lake Superior and the largest lake in Africa

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

Square Lake Victoria 68 thousand square kilometers, length 320 km, maximum width 275 km. It is part of the Victoria Reservoir. Many islands. The high-water Kagera River flows in and the Victoria Nile River flows out. The lake is navigable, local residents engage in fishing on it.

The northern coast of the lake crosses the equator. The lake, with a maximum depth of 80 m, is a fairly deep lake.

Unlike its deep-sea neighbors Tanganyika and Nyasa, which lie within the African gorge system, Lake Victoria fills the shallow depression between the eastern and western sides of the Great Gorge valley. The lake receives a huge amount of water from rain, more than from all its tributaries.

30 million people live in the vicinity of the lake. On the southern and western shores of the lake live the Haya people, who knew how to grow coffee long before the arrival of Europeans. Main ports: Entebbe (Uganda), Mwanza, Bukoba (Tanzania), Kisumu (Kenya), near the northern coast of Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.03.2016 15:30

Lake Huron is the fourth largest among. This lake is in the USA and Canada, one of the North American Great Lakes. Located east of Lake Michigan, connected to it by the Strait of Mackinac. From a hydrographic point of view, Michigan and Huron form a single system (they are connected by the Strait of Mackinac), but geographically they are considered to be separate lakes.

The area of Huron is about 59.6 thousand square kilometers (the second largest among the Great Lakes). The surface height above sea level is about 176 m (same as Michigan), the depth is up to 229 m.

The states of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario have access to the lake. The main ports on Huron are Saginaw, Bay City, Alpina (USA) and Sarnia (Canada).

The name of the lake, introduced by the French, comes from the name of the Huron Indian tribe. Huron is home to Manitoulin, the world's largest island located in a freshwater lake.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.03.2016 15:37

In the middle of the list, in 5th place among is lake michigan- one of the North American Great Lakes.

The only Great Lakes located entirely within the United States. Located south of Lake Superior, connected to Lake Huron by the Strait of Mackinac, with the Mississippi River system - the Chicago - Lockport Canal.

From a hydrographic point of view, Michigan and Huron form a single system, but geographically they are considered to be separate lakes.

Square Michigan- about 57,750 km2 (the third largest among the Great Lakes), length about 500 km, width about 190 km. The surface height above sea level is 177 m (same as Huron), the depth is up to 281 m. It is covered with ice for about four months a year. Islands - Beaver, North Manitou, South Manitou.

The states of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin have access to the lake. Major cities on Lake Michigan include Chicago, Evanston and Highland Park (IL), Milwaukee and Green Bay (WI), and Gary and Hammond (IN).

The name of the lake comes from the word mishigami, meaning “big water” in the Ojibwa Indian language. The first European to discover the lake was the Frenchman Jean Nicolet in 1634.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.03.2016 15:42

Sixth among is Aral Sea.

The Aral Sea is an endorheic salt lake in Central Asia, on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Since the 1960s of the 20th century, sea level (and the volume of water in it) has been rapidly declining due to the withdrawal of water from the main feeding rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya for irrigation purposes. Before the start of shallowing, the Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake in the world.

Collector-drainage waters flowing from the fields into the bed of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya have caused deposits of pesticides and various other agricultural pesticides, appearing in places on 54 thousand square kilometers of the former seabed covered with salt. Dust storms carry salt, dust and toxic chemicals up to 500 km. Sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate are airborne and kill or retard the development of natural vegetation and crops. The local population suffers from a high prevalence of respiratory diseases, anemia, cancer of the larynx and esophagus, and digestive disorders. Liver and kidney diseases and eye diseases have become more frequent.

In 2001, as a result of a drop in water level, Vozrozhdenie Island connected with the mainland. On this island, the Soviet Union tested bacteriological weapons: the causative agents of anthrax, tularemia, brucellosis, plague, typhoid, smallpox, as well as botulinum toxin were tested here on horses, monkeys, sheep, donkeys and other laboratory animals. This is the reason for fears that deadly microorganisms have remained viable, and infected rodents may spread them to other regions.

According to scientists' calculations, it is no longer possible to save the Aral Sea. Even if we completely abandon the intake of water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, the previous water level in it will be restored no earlier than in 200 years.

The Aral Sea once occupied 68 thousand square kilometers and was the fourth largest in area in the world. Now its area is about 10% of that recorded in the 60s of the last century. Photos from 1989 and 2003:

From the 1950s to the present, projects have been repeatedly proposed to build a canal to transfer water from the Ob basin to the Aral Sea basin, which would significantly develop the economy of the Aral region (in particular, agriculture) and partially revive the Aral Sea. Such construction will require very large material costs (on the part of several states - Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan), so there is no talk yet about the practical implementation of these projects.

Some scientists predict the Aral Sea will completely disappear by 2020...

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.03.2016 15:47

Lake Tanganyika- a large lake in Central Africa. This is one of and equally ancient in origin. In terms of volume and depth, Tanganyika ranks second after Lake Baikal. The shores of the lake belong to four countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi.

The length of the lake is about 650 km, width is 40-80 km. Area 34 thousand sq. km. It lies at an altitude of 773 meters above sea level in the tectonic basin of the East African Rift Zone. Coastal landscapes, as a rule, consist of huge rocks and only on the eastern side the shores are gentle. On the west coast, the steep sidewalls of the East African Rift Zone that form the coastline reach 2000 m in height. The coastline is dotted with bays and bays. The largest of them is Burton Bay. The lake is fed by several tributaries. The only river that flows out is the Lukuga, which begins in the middle part of the west coast and flows west, connecting with the Zaire River, which flows into the Atlantic.

The lake is home to hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and many waterfowl. Fishing and shipping are well developed.

The antiquity of the lake and the long period of isolation resulted in the development of a large number of endemic organisms, including those from the family Cichlidae (cichlids). Of the more than 200 species of fish found in the lake, about 170 are endemic.

Tanganyika is inhabited to approximately a depth of 200 m; below this level there is a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide and there is no life until the very bottom. This layer of the lake is a huge “burial ground” consisting of organic silt and sedimentary mineral compounds.

The water temperature of Tanganyika varies strictly among layers. Thus, in the upper layer the temperature ranges from 24 to 30 degrees, with a decrease at greater depths. Due to different densities of water and the absence of bottom current, the layers do not mix, and the temperature on the lower horizons reaches only 6-8 degrees.

The depth of the temperature jump layer is about 100 m. The water of Tanganika is very transparent (up to 30 m). Many salts are dissolved in it in small concentrations, so its composition resembles highly diluted sea salt. Water hardness (mainly caused by magnesium salts) ranges from 8 to 15 degrees. Water has an alkaline reaction, pH 8.0 - 9.5.

There are about 5 million lakes in the world, but we have only heard about a few of the largest ones. Do you think that Baikal is the largest lake in the world? In fact, Baikal takes only 7th place 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.

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

From October to June the lake is frozen; in winter the ice can support 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 by area. Lake Nyasa fills a crack in the earth's crust in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, located between Mozambique and Tanzania. The length of the lake is 560 km, depth - 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. Great Bear Lake - 31,080 square kilometers. Canada.

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. Dimensions of the lake: length - 320 km, width - 175 km, maximum depth - 446 m.

The lake does not have a very good history. Uranium was found here. It was from here that uranium was mined to make the 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 reserves. Baikal is also considered one of the cleanest lakes in the world.

The lake ranks seventh in area in the world and first in volume. Dimensions of the lake: length - 636 km, width - 80 km, maximum depth - 1642 m, volume - 23,600 km3.
The origin of the lake is tectonic, its 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 deepest lakes in the world, along with Lake Baikal. The lake lies between 4 countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi.

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

Tanganyika lies in Africa's deepest tectonic basin and is part of the Congo River basin, one of the 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 lake located entirely within the United States. Michigan is the fifth largest in the world and the third largest 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 and Kenya. With the construction of the Owen Falls Dam in 1954, the lake was converted into a reservoir. There are many islands on the lake. Fishing is developed on the lake and there are many ports in three countries. A national park has been established on the island of Rubondo (Tanzania).

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

The lake was discovered and named in honor of 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, which is classified as the largest lake or sea due to its size. Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Volume - 78,200 m3, length - 1200 km, width - 435 km, maximum depth - 1025 m. The length of the coastline of the Caspian Sea is approximately 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, and Azerbaijan.
The origin of the lake is oceanic.

Our country boasts the largest reserves of fresh water, most of which are contained in lakes. 19% of all world reserves are concentrated in just one. In total, within the Russian Federation there are about 2 million lakes with a total occupied territory of more than 700 thousand square meters. km including the Caspian Sea.

The top 10 includes the largest lakes in Russia by area.

Area 1.29 thousand square meters. km

It opens the ranking of the largest lakes in Russia and occupies an area of 1.29 thousand square meters. km, but due to the low banks, the area may fluctuate throughout the year. The volume of water mass increased sharply in 1964 and this is due to the construction of the Sheksninsky reservoir. The huge natural basin is filled with water using seventeen large rivers. The total number of rivers and streams flowing into the lake is about 60. The lake belongs to the Caspian Sea, since the only river flowing from it flows into the Volga.

Area 2 thousand square meters. km

It occupies ninth place in the list of the largest lakes located on the territory of the Russian Federation. Endorheic salt reservoir with an area of 2 thousand square meters. km. It is located in the Barabinskaya lowland of the Novosibirsk region. The name of the lake comes from the Turkic “chan”, which means “large vessel”. On its territory there are about 70 islands, the largest of which are Lezhan, Amelkina Griva, Medvezhiy and Kolpachok. Chany is home to 16 species of fish, including pike perch, perch, carp, silver carp and others.

Area 3.3 thousand square meters. km

It is one of the ten largest lakes in Russia with an area of 3.3 thousand square meters. km. The length of the reservoir is 85 kilometers and the width is 80 km. Part of the lake is located in Mongolia, where Ubu Nur is considered the largest body of water. About 29 species of fish live here, of which only one is consumed by humans - the Altai osman.

Area 3.5 thousand sq. km

It is located in seventh position among the largest bodies of water in Russia. Its total area is about 3.5 thousand square meters. km. 30 water arteries flow into the lake, and the only river outflows is Narva. The reservoir is located on the borders of Russia and Estonia. On the territory of Lake Chudsko-Pskov there are 29 islands with an occupied territory of about 26 square meters. km. In the coastal zone there is the ornithological reserve “Pskov-Chudskaya Lakeside Lowland”, which is the most valuable reserve of rare species of plants and animals in the Baltic region.

Area 4 thousand sq. km

The sixth place in the top 10 largest lakes in Russia goes to the reservoir. Its location is the border between the Primorsky Territory of the Russian Federation and the Heilongjiang province of China. Khanka is the largest freshwater reservoir in the Far East with an area of 4 thousand square meters. km. 24 water arteries flow into the lake, including Melgunovka, Komissarovka, and the Ilistaya River. Only one river flows out of Khanka - Sungacha. The international Russian-Chinese Khanka Nature Reserve is located here.

Area 4.6 thousand square meters. km

It ranks fifth among the largest lakes in Russia by area. The largest body of water in the Krasnoyarsk Territory has an area of 4.6 thousand square meters. km. Its peculiarity is that for 9 months the lake is under ice. Representatives of the local flora include arctic fish species, including char, whitefish, muksun and others. Local islands serve as a nesting site for migratory birds - red-breasted geese and geese. The Western, Northern, Upper Taimyr, and Baikura rivers flow into Taimyr, and the Lower Taimyr flows out.

Area 9.6 thousand square meters. km

It occupies fourth place in the ranking with an area of 9.6 thousand square meters. km. Its length is 245 km and its width is 91 kilometers. The reservoir is located on the territory of Karelia, as well as the Vologda and Leningrad regions. About 50 rivers flow into it, and the only river flows out is the Svir. Within Lake Onega there are about 1,650 islands with a total occupied territory of 224 kilometers. The most famous is the island of Kizhi, where the museum-reserve of the same name is located. The inhabitants of the reservoir are 47 species of fish, including salmon, trout, sterlet, pike perch, eel and others. Due to the habitat of valuable species of fish, fishing is developed here.

Ladoga lake Area 18 thousand square meters. km

Discovers the three largest lakes in Russia. It belongs to one of the largest fresh water bodies in Europe. Its area is about 18 thousand square meters. km, and the maximum depth reaches 230 meters. From south to north, Lake Ladoga stretches for 219 kilometers, from west to east - for 138 kilometers. About 40 rivers and streams flow into the fresh water body, and the only river flows out is the Neva. There are more than 600 islands on Ladoga with a total area of 435 square meters. km. The largest of them are Riekkalansari, Kilpola and Vaalam. In the depths of the water, 120 species of plants grow and 53 species of fish live, of which the most valuable are salmon, trout, pike perch and others. The Ladoga ringed seal, which is the only representative of pinnipeds, lives here. The species is protected and listed in the Red Book.

Area 31.7 thousand square meters. km

It occupies second place in the ranking of the largest lakes in Russia. It is the deepest lake in the world and the largest natural reservoir of fresh water, containing about 19% of all world reserves. Its area is 31.7 thousand square meters. km, and the depth is 1642 m. Baikal stretches 636 km in length and 80 km in width. On its territory there are 27 peninsulas and islands, the largest of which is the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula. According to some reports, about 500 rivers and streams flow into it. The largest rivers flowing into Baikal include the Selenga, Upper Angara, Turka, Tyya, etc. Only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara. The water in Baikal is very clear: at a depth of up to 40 meters, the flora and fauna of the reservoir is visible. There is a very rich fauna here, represented by 2,600 species, of which about a thousand are endemic.

Area 371 thousand square meters. km

The name of this lake already speaks of its incredible size. The largest lake in Russia has an area of 371 thousand square meters. km. with a maximum depth in the South Caspian depression of more than a thousand meters. Its length is 1.2 thousand km and its width is about 500 kilometers. It is also the largest enclosed body of water in the world, which due to its size is equated to the sea. The lake supposedly got its name in honor of the Caspian tribes who lived on the coast in ancient times. The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of the continents of Europe and Asia. About 130 rivers flow into it, including such large waterways as the Volga, Sulak, Samur, Ural, etc. The sea washes the shores of 5 states at once: Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. The flora and fauna of the salty reservoir is very rich and has about 2 thousand representatives of the animal world and more than 700 species of plants.