Lakes occupy about 1.8% of the globe, they are mostly small, quiet water bodies with gently sloping sandy shores. But there are lakes of real giants several hundred kilometers long, larger than some seas, on the surface of which real storms rage with multimeter waves. Meet the ten largest lakes in the world.

10. Great Slave Lake

The Great Slave Lake has an area of ​​28.930 km², is the remains of a reservoir formed after the melting of glaciers formed during the Ice Age. This is the deepest lake in North America, located in Canada, with a depth of 614 meters, which on one side borders on the tundra, and on the other with the Canadian boundary shield. The name of the lake was in honor of the Indian tribe that lived on the shore, whose name was very consonant with the English word "slave", which translates as "slave".

9 Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi, also known as Nyasa, with an area of ​​30.044 km 2 contains 7% of the world's fresh water reserves. The reservoir is a depression on the border of Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi, 706 meters deep, into which 14 rivers flow. Storms often rage along the steep shores of the lake, during which navigation almost completely stops.

8. Big Bear Lake

Canada's largest lake, Great Bear Lake has an area of ​​31.153 km². The reservoir is located beyond the Arctic Circle at an altitude of 186 meters above sea level and has a depth of 413 meters. It was from uranium mined on the shores of the Great Bear Lake that the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were made.

7. Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal with an area of ​​31.722 km² is the largest fresh water reservoir in the world, storing 19% of the world's fresh water reserves. A reservoir with a depth of 1.637 meters was formed at the site of a tectonic fault, and is surrounded on all sides by hills and mountains. By the way, this is the deepest lake in the world, where more than 300 rivers flow into and only one Angara river flows out. Most importantly, Baikal and its shores are home to a large number of animals and plants that are not found anywhere else in the world.

6. Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika with an area of ​​32.893 km 2, located on the border of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi, was formed at the site of a tectonic fault at the border of the African and Arabian tectonic plates. It is the second deepest (its depth is 1.470 meters) closed body of water in the world and the second largest freshwater lake in the world. It also bears the title of the longest lake in the world, from north to south it has a length of 673 kilometers. The shores of Tanganyika are high cliffs, and only on the eastern side there are gentle areas. Due to the fact that the lake was formed many millions of years ago with a closed ecosystem, many unique fish species are found here, which you will not find anywhere else in the world.

5. Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan with an area of ​​58,000 km 2 is the only one of the five Great Lakes that is entirely within the United States. It is located at an altitude of 177 meters above sea level, its depth is 281 meters. Michigan is located high in the northern latitudes and for about four months of the year its waters are bound by ice.

4. Lake Huron

Lake Huron, on the border of the USA and Canada, with an area of ​​59,600 km 2 has a depth of 229 meters and is located at an altitude of 176 meters above sea level. The most interesting thing is that Huron has just a huge number of islands, more than 30 thousand, among which Manitoulin Island stands apart, the largest freshwater island in the world, which in turn contains the largest inland lake in the world - Manitou, with an area of ​​106 km 2.

3. Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria, with an area of ​​69.485 km2, is the largest African and tropical lake in the world. The reservoir was formed in a depression on the East African Platform on the border of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda at an altitude of 1134 meters above sea level. The lake with a large number of bays, bays and islands, surrounded by low swampy shores, only in the southwestern part, the water rests on the rocks that go up sharply. Victoria has a depth of 84 meters, the main source of water replenishment of which is tropical rains. By the way, it is from here that the longest river in the world, the Nile, originates.

2. Lake Superior

The second largest in the world and the largest lake in North America - Superior, has an area of ​​​​82.414 km 2. The reservoir was formed in the basin as a result of the movement of tectonic plates and soil erosion, which was filled with water from melted glaciers. Above the lake, 406 meters deep, not protected by mountains, strong winds are constantly blowing, because of which, on its surface, strong seiches (standing waves) are often formed, which strongly destroy the shores.

1. Caspian Sea

The largest lake in the world is the Caspian Sea, yes, it is the lake, despite the fact that it is most often called the sea, has an area of ​​371,000 km2. The shores of this reservoir are flat and swampy, only in the northern part they are strongly indented, in the region of the delta of the Volga and Ural rivers. The Caspian Sea, which is located on the border of Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, has a depth of 1025 meters. The most interesting thing is that this lake appeared as a result of tectonic shifts, which led to the appearance of a closed reservoir separated from the oceans.

A lake is a body of water that has no direct connection to the oceans. Lakes, like any geographical object, should be classified according to various aspects: historical, geographical, political, economic, geological, legal, and others. Geographically, lakes should be divided into the following types: 1. In relation to the mainland: 1.1. Lakes located in Africa. 1.2. Lakes located in Eurasia. 1.3. Lakes located in Australia. 1.4. Lakes located in North America. 1.5. Lakes located in South America. 1.6. Lakes located in Antarctica. 1.7. Lakes located on the islands. 2. In relation to the part of the world: 2.1. Lakes related to Africa. 2.2. Lakes related to Antarctica. 2.3. Lakes related to Asia. 2.4. Lakes belonging to Europe. 2.5. Lakes washing two parts of the world. 2.6. Lakes related to Australia and Oceania. 2.7. Lakes related to America. 3. According to the water balance: 3.1. Drainless lakes. 3.2. Waste lakes. 4. By salinity of water: 4.1. Fresh lakes. 4.2. Salt lakes. 4.3. Fresh-salt lakes. 5. By depth: 5.1. Deep water lakes. 5.2. Lakes of medium depth. 5.3. Shallow lakes. 6. By area: 6.1. Large lakes. 6.2. Lakes of medium size. 6.3. Small lakes. 6.4. Microlakes. 7. In relation to the basin of the World Ocean: 7.1. Lakes belonging to the Pacific Ocean. 7.2. Lakes belonging to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. 7.3. Lakes belonging to the Indian Ocean basin. 7.4. Lakes belonging to the Atlantic Ocean basin. 7.5. Lakes belonging to the endorheic basin. 8. In relation to the islands: 8.1. Lakes with islands inside. 8.2. Lakes containing archipelagos. 8.3. Lakes, within which there are no islands and archipelagos. 9. In relation to the rivers flowing into the lake: 9.1. Lakes with only one river. 9.2. Lakes into which two rivers flow. 9.3. Lakes into which three or more rivers flow. 9.4. Lakes into which rivers do not flow. 10. In relation to the rivers flowing from the lake: 10.1. Lakes from which a river flows. 10.2. Lakes from which the river does not flow. 11. By status: 11.1. Lakes of the first order. 11.2. Lakes of the second order. 12. In relation to the equator: 12.1. Lakes located in the Northern Hemisphere. 12.2. Lakes in the Southern Hemisphere. 12.3. Lakes located in the northern and southern hemispheres. 13. In relation to the Greenwich meridian: 13.1. Lakes located in the Western Hemisphere. 13.2. Lakes located in the Eastern Hemisphere. 13.3. Lakes located in the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. 14. In relation to reservoirs: 14.1. Lakes that are part of the reservoir. 14.2. Lakes that are not part of a reservoir. All lakes existing in the world should be divided into lakes of the first order and lakes of the second order. Most of the lakes on Earth belong to the lakes of the first order. Lakes of the second order include lakes that are an integral part of any lake of the first order. For example, Lake Peipsi-Pskovskoe consists of three lakes of the second order: Pskovskoe Lake, Warm Lake and Lake Peipus. Lakes are found on all continents. On the territory of Europe there are the following lakes: 1. Lake Constance. Located on the border of Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 2. Lake Geneva. Located on the French-Swiss border. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 3. Kubenskoye lake. This shallow lake is located in Russia. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. 4. Lake Ladoga. Territory of Russia. 5. Lake Neuchâtel. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. Territory of Switzerland. 6. Lake Balaton. Shallow lake. Located in Hungary. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 7. Lake Baskunchak. Shallow, salty lake. Located on the territory of Russia. 8. Lake Vänern Territory of Sweden. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 9. Lake Vättern. Located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 10. Lake Vozhe. This shallow lake is located in Russia. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. 11. Lake Vygozero. It is a shallow lake. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. 12. Lake Garda. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 13. Lake Ilmen. Shallow lake. Territory of Russia. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 14. Lake Imandra. Territory of Russia. 15. Lake Inarijärvi. Located in Finland. 16. Lake Como. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 17. Lake Maggiore. Located on the border of Italy and Switzerland. 18. Lake Lacha. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. Territory of Russia. It is a shallow lake. 19. Lake Lezina. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. This is a shallow lake. 20. Lake Mälaren. Part of Sweden. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 21. Lake Prespa. It is located on the border of Greece, Albania and Macedonia. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 22. Lake Päijänne. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 23. Lake Saimaa. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 24. Lake Segozero. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. 25. Lake Seliger. Shallow lake. Territory of Russia. 26. Lake Topozero. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. 27. Lake Shkoder. Located on the Montenegrin-Albanian border. 28. Lake Elton. Shallow, salty lake. Refers to an endorheic basin. 29. Lake Onega. Located in Russia. 30. Lake Ohrid. Located on the Macedonian-Albanian border. 31. Lake Trasimeskoe. The lake is shallow. 32. Lake Zurich. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 33. Lake Peipus-Pskov. The lake is shallow. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. The following lakes are located on the territory of Asia: 1. The Big Aral Sea. It is located on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The lake is shallow. 2. Small Aral Sea. This is a shallow, salty lake. Refers to an endorheic basin. 3. Dead Sea. It is located on the border of Palestine, Israel and Jordan. This is a salt lake. 4. Lake Alakol. This is a salt lake. 5. Lake Baikal. This is a deep water lake. Located in Eastern Siberia. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. 6. Lake Balkhash. This is a shallow lake. Refers to an endorheic basin. Territory of Kazakhstan. Lake Balkhash should be classified as fresh-salt lakes, since in the western part of the lake the water is fresh, and in the eastern part of the lake the water is salty. 7. Lake Van. This is a salt lake. Located in Turkey. 8. Dongting Lake Refers to the Pacific Ocean. 9. Lake Essey. Territory of Russia. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. 10. Lake Zaisan. This is a shallow lake. 11. Lake Issyk-Kul. This is a deep water lake. Territory of Kyrgyzstan. Refers to an endorheic basin. 12. Lake Kukunor. The lake is shallow, salty. Territory of China. 13. Lake Lop Nor. This is a salty, drying lake. Territory of China. 14. Lake Nam-Tso. Salt Lake. 15. Lake Poyang. Refers to the Pacific Ocean. Shallow lake. 16. Lake Ritsa. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 17. Lake Sevan. Located in Armenia. 18. Lake Taimyr. It is a shallow lake. Territory of Russia. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. 19. Lake Tengiz. This is a shallow, salty lake. Territory of Kazakhstan. 20. Lake Tonle Sap. Territory of Cambodia. Refers to the Pacific Ocean. Shallow lake. 21. Lake Tuz. This is a shallow, salty lake located in Turkey. 22. Lake Ubsu-Nur. Located on the Russian-Mongolian border. Refers to an endorheic basin. Shallow lake. 23. Lake Urmia. This is a shallow, salty lake. Located in Iran. 24. Lake Khanka. Located on the Russian-Chinese border. Refers to the Pacific Ocean. Shallow lake. 25. Lake Khubsugul. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. 26. Lake El Milh. The lake is salty. 27. Teletskoye lake. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. Territory of Russia. 28. Lake of Tiberias. Shallow lake. And Africa boasts the following lakes: 1. Lake Albert. Located on the border of Uganda and Congo. 2. Lake Victoria. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 3. Lake Kivu. Located on the Congolese-Rwandan border. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 4. Lake Mweru. Located on the Congolese-Zambian border. Shallow lake. 5. Lake Nyasa. Located on the border of Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique. This is a deep water lake. 6. Lake Rudolph. Located on the Kenyan-Ethiopian border. 7. Lake Tana. Ethiopian territory. This is a shallow lake. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 8. Lake Tanganyika. This is a deep water lake. 9. Lake Chad. This is a shallow lake. Refers to an endorheic basin. 10. Lake Edward. Located on the Congolese-Ugandan border. The following lakes are located on the territory of Australia: 1. Lake Gardner. This is a salt lake. Refers to an endorheic basin. 2. Lake Mackay. This is a drying lake. 3. Lake Torrens. Shallow, salty lake. Refers to an endorheic basin. 4. Lake Eyre. Shallow, ephemeral lake. Refers to an endorheic basin. It should be noted that there is only one country on the mainland of Australia - Australia. Consequently, all the lakes located on this mainland are located on the territory of one country - Australia. There are lakes not only in the Eastern Hemisphere, but also in the Western. The following lakes are located on the territory of North America: 1. Big Bear Lake. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. Territory of Canada. 2. Great Slave Lake. The lake is deep. Territory of Canada. 3. Great Salt Lake. It is a shallow, salty lake. Refers to an endorheic basin. 4. Upper lake. The lake is deep. 5. Lake Athabasca Located in Canada. 6. Lake Winnipeg Shallow lake. Located in Canada. 7. Lake Huron Located on the US-Canadian border. 8. Lake Managua. Shallow lake. Located in Nicaragua. 9. Lake Michigan Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 10. Lake Nicaragua. Territory of Nicaragua. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 11. Lake Ontario. Located on the US-Canadian border. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 12. Lake Erie. Located on the US-Canadian border. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 13. Deer Lake. Territory of Canada. Refers to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. And on the territory of South America there are the following lakes: 1. Lake Argentino. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 2. Lake Buenos Aires. Located on the border of Chile and Argentina. This is a deep water lake. 3. Lake Lagoa Mirin. Located on the Uruguayan-Brazilian border. Shallow lake. 4. Lake Poopo. Refers to an endorheic basin. Shallow lake. 5. Lake Titicaca Located on the Bolivian-Peruvian border. Most of the lakes are located on the territory of the continents, but there are lakes located on the islands. These include: 1. Loch Neagh. Located on the island of Ireland. Shallow lake. Refers to the Atlantic Ocean. 2. Loch Ness. It is part of the channel, located on the island of Great Britain. Deep water lake. Territory of Scotland. 3. Lake Toba. Located on the island of Sumatra. Territory of Indonesia. Lakes must be classified not only geographically, but also geologically. By origin, natural and artificial lakes can be distinguished. Natural lakes are divided into ground and underground. Terrestrial natural lakes should be divided into the following types: glacial lakes, moraine lakes, river lakes, coastal lakes, mountain lakes, crater lakes, tectonic lakes, dam lakes, floodplain lakes and sinkhole lakes. Mountain lakes include, for example, Lake Karakul, Lake Kukunor, Lake Nam-Tso, Lake Ritsa and Lake Titicaca. Lakes of tectonic origin include lakes such as Baikal, Balaton, Lago Maggiore, Managua, Nicaragua, Prespa, Saima, Sasykkol, Tengiz and others. And the lakes of glacial origin are such lakes as Lake Constance, Lake Kubenskoye, Lake Buenos Aires, Loch Ness, Seliger, Deer Lake, Lake Peipus-Pskovskoye and others. In addition to natural lakes, there are also artificial lakes in the world. For example, Lake Aydarkul. In the ecological direction, two types of lakes can be distinguished: 1. Lakes that are part of specially protected natural areas. 2. Lakes that are not part of specially protected natural areas. For example, national parks are located on the shores of such lakes as Lake Ladoga, Lake Arkhentino, Lake Baikal, Lake Venern, Lake Pyayanne, Lake Sevan, Lake Torrens, Lake Khubsugul, Lake Shkoder. The lakes on the banks of which there are reserves include: Lake Constance, Lake Kronotskoye, Lake Baikal, Lake Baskunchak, Lake Taimyr, Lake Tengiz, Lake Khanka, Lake Shkoder, Lake Teletskoye and others. Ecologically, lakes can also be classified in relation to fishing, as there are lakes in the world where fishing is prohibited and lakes where fishing is not prohibited. Culturally, lakes that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and lakes that are not a UNESCO World Heritage Site can be distinguished. For example, lakes such as Kronotskoye Lake, Kurilskoye Lake, Lake Baikal and Lake Ohrid are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Regarding the names of lakes, it should be noted that most of the lakes have the same name. But in the world there are lakes that have two or more names. For example, lakes with two names include such lakes as Lake Murten (second name - Mora), Lake Albert (second name - Nyantsa), Lake Lagoa-Mirin (second name - Laguna-Merin), Lake Nam-Tso (second name - Tengri-Nur), lake Ubsu-Nur (second name - Uvs-Nuur). And Lake Kukunor, located in China, has three names: the second name is Qinghai, the third name is Tso Ngonpo. Lakes can also be classified historically. Lakes can be divided into types according to the time of their discovery, as well as in relation to their discoverer. There are lakes in the world, on the banks of which military operations took place. For example: 1. Lake Balaton (in March 1945, the Balaton operation took place on the shore of this lake, during which this area was liberated from the German fascists). 2. Lake Sevan (in 921, the Battle of Sevan took place here, during which the Armenians defeated the Arab army). 3. Lake Trasimene (in 217 BC, there was a battle between the Carthaginians and the Romans on the shore of this lake). 4. Lake Peipus-Pskovskoye (on the shore of this lake, the Battle of the Ice took place on April 5, 1242). It is logical that there are also lakes in the world, on the banks of which no military operations took place. In astronomical terms, terrestrial and extraterrestrial lakes can be distinguished. Extraterrestrial lakes are lakes located outside the Earth. Lakes should also be classified politically, since there are lakes in the world that are in the disputed territory, and lakes that are not in the disputed territory. In legal terms, lakes can be classified in relation to the states, subjects of states and municipalities on whose territory this or that lake is located. There are lakes in the world that are located on the territory of one state, one subject of the state or one municipality. I must say that most of these lakes. For example, Lake Van is located in Turkey. Lakes located on the territory of one state should be called intrastate, since they are located within a country. Lakes located on the border of two or more states should be called international. There are enough lakes in the world that are located on the border of two states. For example, Lake Peipsi-Pskovskoye is located on the Russian-Estonian border. The lakes located on the border of three states include the African Lake Victoria, which is located on the border of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. On the border of four states is Lake Chad. There is a lake in the world that washes two parts of the world: Europe and Asia. This is the largest lake in the world in terms of area - the Caspian Sea, which washes the shores of five states: Kazakhstan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkmenistan. This lake is deep-sea, salty. I propose: 1. Consider Lake Michigan and Lake Huron one lake. 2. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan should be lakes of the second order. I want to note that you, Dear readers, are not obliged to agree with my above suggestions. As people say, my job is to propose, your job is to think.

10 creepiest lakes on our planet

Thousands of lost lives, mysterious inhabitants, poisonous waters - it's all about the terrible reservoirs of our planet. Even cute-looking lakes with clear water sometimes pose a great threat to those who decide to swim in it or even settle with a tent on the shore. We have selected the ten most terrible lakes of our planet.

1. Nyos (Cameroon)

Lake Nyos can be called a mass killer. It became known to the whole world because of the terrible event that occurred on August 21, 1985. A cloud of asphyxiating gas rose from the lake, killing 1,746 residents of neighboring villages. All livestock, birds and even insects perished along with the people. Arriving at the scene of the tragedy, scientists from all over the world found that the lake is located in the crater of a volcano, which everyone considered dormant. Through cracks from the bottom, carbon dioxide entered the water. Having accumulated the maximum concentration, the gas began to break out to the surface in huge bubbles. The wind carried a cloud of gas to the settlements, where it destroyed all life. Scientists say that carbon dioxide continues to flow into the lake and another release can be expected.

2. Blue Lake (Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia)

Blue karst abyss in Kabardino-Balkaria. Outside, not a single river flows into the lake, it is fed by underground sources. The blue color of the lake is due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide in the water. The creepiness of this lake is given by the fact that no one has been able to figure out its depth. The fact is that the bottom consists of an extensive system of caves. Researchers have not yet been able to figure out what the lowest point of this karst lake is. It is believed that under Blue Lake is the world's largest system of underwater caves.

3. Natron (Tanzania)

Lake Natron in Tanzania not only kills its inhabitants, but also mummifies their bodies. On the shores of the lake there are mummified flamingos, small birds, bats. The most terrible thing is that the victims freeze in their natural poses with their heads up. It was like they froze for a moment and stayed that way forever. The water in the lake is bright red because of the microorganisms living in it, closer to the shore it is already orange, and in some places it is of a normal color. Evaporation of the lake scares away large predators, and the absence of natural enemies attracts a huge number of birds and small animals. They live on the banks of the Natron, multiply, and after death they are mummified. A large amount of hydrogen contained in water and increased alkalinity contribute to the release of soda, salt and lime. They do not allow the remains of the inhabitants of the lake to decompose.

4. Brosno (Tver region, Russia)

Not so far from Moscow, in the Tver region, there is Lake Brosno, in which, according to local residents, an ancient lizard lives. Like the famous Nessie, who gained worldwide fame. As in the case of the inhabitant of the Scottish lake, the Brosnen monster was often seen, but no one managed to take a single clear picture. Studies of the reservoir did not lead to anything concrete. Scientists suggest that the origin of the legends about the ancient monster was an unusually large depth for a small lake and decomposition processes at the bottom, which sometimes lead to the formation of huge hydrogen sulfide bubbles. The escaping gas can easily capsize a small boat, which can be mistaken for a monster attack.

5. Michigan (USA)

Lake Michigan is one of the five great lakes scattered across the United States and Canada. Few people know that this reservoir has destroyed hundreds of lives. They did not see an ancient monster here, the water here is far from dead, but nevertheless the lake is very dangerous. It's all about unpredictable undercurrents. They carry a huge risk for those who come to swim on the shores of Michigan, and there are many of them in the warm season. Undercurrents carry people away from the shore, and if a person has fallen into his power, then it is almost impossible to cope with him. In autumn, the lake becomes especially dangerous. Due to spontaneous currents on the surface of the water, huge waves arise, from which sailors are the first to suffer.

6. Dead Lake (Kazakhstan)

The lake with a terrible name is located in Kazakhstan. Local residents have long been trying to bypass it, considering the reservoir cursed. Here, anyone will tell you some scary stories about the mysterious disappearances of people, and not even necessarily in the lake itself. According to locals, there are countless drowned people at the bottom. Moreover, all the missing are visiting tourists who do not know anything about the notoriety of the Dead Lake. By the way, this name does not come from mysterious disappearances, but because of the unusual properties of water. There is no life in the lake. No fish, no frogs, nothing. In addition, the water remains extremely cold even in the hot season, and the size of the lake does not decrease. And this is at a time when other reservoirs in this region dry up almost twice from the heat.

7. Lake of death (Italy)

We know about Sicily thanks to the famous Sicilian mafia and the volcano Etna located on the island. But there is another (no less dangerous) attraction - the Lake of Death, the water of which contains a high concentration of sulfuric acid. Life here is impossible by definition. Any organism that enters the local water dies within minutes. According to rumors, the Italian mafia used this lake to destroy unwanted people. The bodies of those who rejected an Offer You Can't Refuse now form part of the Lake of Death. True or not, no one can say, because the water has dissolved all the evidence.

8. Karachay (Russia)

Lake Karachay in the Urals is considered one of the most polluted in the world. Staying on the shore of the lake for a couple of hours is enough to get hundreds of x-rays of radiation and die a painful death. The once-living lake was destroyed in the fifties, when it began to be used as a repository for liquid radioactive waste. Now the water level has dropped dramatically, exposing vast contaminated areas of the lake. The state annually allocates large funds to reduce the level of radiation in the reservoir. In the coming years, it is planned to completely fill it up, but this does not solve the problem of groundwater contamination.

People have always been attracted by mystical places, covered with legends, stories, stories about miracles. And the more dangerous the place, the more daredevils sought to solve its riddle.

To be afraid of spirits - do not go to the steppe

People have always been attracted by mystical places, covered with legends, tales, stories of miracles. And the more dangerous the place, the more daredevils sought to solve its riddle. Kazakhstanis in this regard, one might say, are lucky - there are a huge number of such “mysterious islands” on the territory of the republic, like a magnet attracting curious tourists. In the selection "K" we will talk about the most mystical of them.

Ungurtas

The village of Ungurtas, 100 km from Almaty.

Another name for Ungurtas is the "Navel of the Earth", since it is here, according to many, that the celestial system connects with the Earth system. According to legend, it was on the site of Ungurtas that Ahmed Yasawi once lived. They say that at the age of 63, feeling the approaching decline of life, he began to look for a calm, secluded corner. The ideal option was Ungurtas, where Ahmed Yasawi spent the rest of his life in an underground cell. His relatives and numerous students settled near the dungeon, who listened to the instructions and teachings of the thinker. The place where the monastery stood is now called Aydarly Aydakhar-Ata.

Aidarly Aydakhar-Ata is an energy pillar with a diameter of 8 meters. “The place of exit from the earth of a stream of energy directed to the sky, which cleanses, replenishes, strengthens the human energy field,” the official explanation says.

People who visited Ungurtas are sure that the radiation coming from the depths charges and purifies them. The place for "energy recharging" was chosen by both psychics and astrologers, as well as ordinary pilgrims from all over the world.

True, there were cases when Ungurtas refused to receive people. At the same time, the so-called gates became the border. The stone, made in the form of a book, calls everyone to stop in front of it. “Kneel down and pray. For you are ascending the Mount of Reason,” reads the inscription. But not everyone can go beyond the gate. The head may ache, the eyes become cloudy and suffocation begins. People describe their feelings in different ways at the moment when they could not go up the mountain. To some, a thick wall seems to be breaking through which it makes no sense. Others talk about the feeling of chains that bind the arms and legs and do not allow to move on.

In addition to the energy flow, each of the caves of Ungurtas is a unique place with a peculiar energy and healing properties inherent only to it.

Kok-Kol

Jambyl Region.

According to local residents, a water spirit - Aidakhar - lives in Kol-Kol Lake. Modern anomaly researchers say that a prehistoric creature lives in the reservoir, miraculously preserved to this day, a relative of the Loch Ness monster. This is what explains the stories of fishermen and shepherds, who assure that they often saw how waterfowl and animals drinking near the shore were “dragged” into the lake.

In fact, Lake Kol-Kol has rather strange physical properties: the water in it is constantly fresh and “alive”, although not a single river or source flows into the lake. Sometimes large funnels appear on the water, drawing in various floating objects. Often the smooth surface of the lake is instantly covered with small ripples.

Hydrologists are thinking about a system of underground caves, but they have not yet been able to thoroughly explore the lake: in some areas it is bottomless.

However, a group of divers from Irkutsk managed to get some answer. The researchers tried to find the bottom of the lake, but all attempts were unsuccessful. During one of the dives, a giant funnel suddenly appeared and swallowed up one of the divers in a matter of seconds. Searches in the depths of the lake yielded nothing. It was decided to stop the rescue operation.

However, quite unexpectedly, the members of the expedition received the news that their friend was alive. It turned out that a kilometer from the lake there is a valley through which a fast river flows. It was there that the missing diver was found. Alive and unharmed, he told that the lake carried him through the underground depths and pushed him up. At that moment, he felt the action of some unknown force ...

Singing dune

Altyn-Emel National Park, 182 km northeast of Almaty.

According to one of the legends, the great Genghis Khan rests under the Singing Dune along with his warriors, and the singing sand is the soul of the khan, which from time to time reminds his descendants of himself and his exploits. Another legend says that a shaitan turned into a barkhan, who returned to his home through the steppe after “a day he had a good time”. Tired, he stopped and lay down to rest. He fell asleep soundly, after which he turned into a dune, and the sound is a groan of dissatisfaction issued by the shaitan that they are trying to disturb him.

The sound produced by a unique dune is always different. Sometimes it resembles a barely perceptible squeak, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish it from a sophisticated melody close to the sound of an organ, and sometimes it is a terrifying roar.

Presumably, the dune creates musical works with the help of electricity discharges. The strength of the sound depends on the number of moving grains of sand, the larger their mass, the clearer and louder the sound of the Singing Dune.

dead lake

Gerasimovka village area, Almaty region.

They say that about a century ago, a certain groom, suspecting his beloved of infidelity, became so distraught that, in a fit of jealousy, he drowned an innocent maiden in the lake. Since then, the lake has become Dead.

In fact, one of the features of this small (60 by 100 meters) reservoir is that even in the hottest summer, its water remains icy, and its level remains unchanged. Although other reservoirs of this region in the summer, under the scorching rays of the sun, noticeably dry out, and sometimes dry up, turning into a small puddle. In addition, there are no fish in the Dead Lake, there are no algae and other vegetation.

There is a version that all life in it is killed by toxic gas released from a crevice at the bottom. However, she has not yet received confirmation - divers descending into the waters of the Dead Lake say that it is impossible to stay in it for more than five minutes, even with a balloon full of air.

Shaitankol

Karaganda region, five kilometers west of Karkaralinsk.

According to one of the legends, once the famous Kazakh hero Yer Targyn spent the night on the shore of a mysterious reservoir. At night, he was awakened by a naked girl of unprecedented beauty and lured into the lake. In the pond itself, the beautiful stranger suddenly turned into a terrible old woman who dug her claws into the young man and dragged him into the depths. However, the hero coped with the witch, smashed her head with his fist, climbed ashore and threw the dead body of the old woman back into the water, after which she immediately came to life and began to threaten Yer Targyn.

According to another legend, the lake was formed from the tears of mothers mourning their sons who died in battle with the Dzungars.

Be that as it may, newspapers wrote about the mysterious lake back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since all kinds of devilry happened in its vicinity and people disappeared, in 1905 it was decided to consecrate the reservoir, and then rename it to the Holy. However, this was not so easy to do. During the prayer service, suddenly, as if from nowhere, a terrible whirlwind came up, knocking the people gathered for prayer off their feet. However, as soon as the prayer service stopped, the hurricane subsided.

The water of the lake of amazing bright blue color is surrounded by dilapidated granite rocks. Shaitankol has no feeding rivers or springs, but the water level here never decreases or rises, despite either heavy snowmelt, heavy rains or, conversely, long periods of summer drought. And, according to the old-timers of these places, the volume of Shaitankol's water is capable of flooding the entire Karkaralinsk and its environs.

The literature indicates that the lake has a double bottom. Depth unknown. It looks like water flooded the mouth of a long-extinct volcano. Thrill-seekers from Yersain Shygaev's group once tried to measure the depth of the lake. Having gone out on an inflatable boat to the middle of the reservoir, they began to lower the load on a rope three hundred meters long. The homemade lot completely went under the water, never reaching the bottom.

Then Ersain Shygaev decided to explore the bottom of the lake with scuba gear. “The bottom of the lake turned out to be very beautiful. Huge boulders, algae, flocks of fish. The water was clear enough. I immediately rushed to where our lot fell into the abyss. And he saw a semicircular "bowl" the size of a football arena, in the center of which a bottomless abyss yawned. I did not dare to swim over the abyss. So he froze on the edge of the cliff, like an idol. And suddenly I saw something strange in the center of the pit. It was as if the back of a huge whale appeared for a moment from the darkness and disappeared into the darkness again ... I pulled the rope so that my friends pulled me to the surface, and immediately felt that oxygen had stopped flowing from the cylinders for no apparent reason. I hardly suppressed the panic and, trying not to look back, rushed upstairs, ”he said in an interview.

Esotericists believe that at the bottom of the lake there is a portal, a "funnel", or a wormhole through which various entities from alternative universes enter our world. According to eyewitnesses, the lake comes to life at night. A quiet evening is suddenly interrupted by a hurricane, strange shadows darting across the surface of the lake, running into people sleeping on the shore and touching them with cold limbs, luminous objects appear above the water.

02.08.2017 - 19:53

Become a gold miner. The largest gold deposits in the world and Kazakhstan

This summer, a new Code “On Subsoil and Subsoil Use” came into force in our country. One of its most important innovations is a mining license, which allows citizens who receive it to mine gold on their own. the site will tell you which regions of Kazakhstan and the world have the largest gold reserves

Not so long ago, we asked the heroes of the Gold Rush program. And this summer, a new Code “On Subsoil and Subsoil Use” came into force in our country. One of its most important innovations is a mining license, which allows citizens who receive it to mine gold on their own. the site will tell you which regions of Kazakhstan and the world have the largest gold reserves

Kazakhstan

According to the Committee of Geology and Subsoil Use, there are 343 gold deposits in Kazakhstan. Over the past year, about 85 tons of gold were produced in the country. The regions of the republic with the largest gold reserves include East Kazakhstan, Akmola and Karaganda regions.

The largest gold mine in the country is the Vasilkovskoye deposit, which is located 17 km northwest of Kokshetau. Its proven reserves of the precious metal exceed 370 tons. Today it is part of the assets of the Altyntau group of companies. The second largest gold deposit in the country is the Bakyrchik mine, which is located in the northeast of Kazakhstan. If we take into account the nearby Bolshevik deposit, the total reserves of both mines are 208 tons. Since 2014, these deposits have been owned by Polymetal International, but it was only in the summer of 2018 that the Bakyrchik mining enterprise was launched, which is developing mines. It is expected that in 2019 the enterprise will produce more than 10 tons of precious metal per year. Among the significant gold deposits of the country, Aksu, Zholymbet and Bestyube, which are located in the Akmola region, can also be distinguished. Their total reserves exceed 100 tons, and predicted - 400 tons.

USA

The United States of America is one of the largest gold mining countries in the world, and it is not for nothing that several gold rushes arose here at one time: in North Carolina, Georgia, California, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and Alaska. Even today, there are a lot of gold miners in the country, inspired by the records of their predecessors, who, despite the difficult living conditions of a prospector, spend months searching for the precious metal. Sometimes serious competition unfolds between them: for example, the youngest gold digger in Alaska, Parker Schnabel, is going to extract at least 170 kg of gold worth more than $ 7 million in order to defeat his eternal rival Tony Bitts. You can find out how this competition will turn out in the new season of the Gold Rush program, which airs on Tuesdays on the Discovery Channel.

The most gold-bearing region in the United States is the state of Nevada, which produces about 75% of American gold, and also contains the largest deposits of this precious metal in the country. One of them is the Carlin gold mine, owned by Newmont Mining Corporation. Gold was first discovered here in the seventies of the XIX century, but only a century later the mine began to be actively developed. In the past few years, it has been steadily producing about 28 tons of valuable metal per year. Other large deposits in the state include Cortez and Goldstrike, owned by Canada's Barrick Gold Corporation, each producing more than 28 tons of gold annually.

Australia

Another country that is among the leaders in gold mining is Australia. Like the United States, it has experienced several gold rushes in its time. For the last financial year - from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. - about 310 tons of precious metal were mined in the country. This result is surpassed only by the indicators of 1998, when the volume of production amounted to 318 tons.

Among the deposits, the Boddington mines (about 22.8 tons) and Super Pit (about 20.6 tons) showed the best results - both are located in Western Australia, which accounts for 70% of the gold mined in the country. The former is owned by Newmont Mining Corporation, while the ownership of the latter is shared by Newmont Mining Corporation and Barrick Gold Corporation. Also in the region is the Tropicana mine, owned by AngloGold Ashanti Limited and Independence Group NL, which produced 13.1 tons of gold in the last financial year.

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa was also not spared by the gold rush. It happened shortly after the discovery of the Witwatersrand gold deposit in 1886. Gold mining by industrial methods began here in 1952, and in 1970 the mine brought in more than 1 thousand tons - since then this record has never been broken. It is believed that more than half of the gold mined in the history of mankind comes from the Witwatersrand.

It is curious that the city of Johannesburg owes its appearance to the Witwatersrand gold rush. Since the mine was opened, adventurers from all over the world have flocked here, due to which the scattered mountain villages that were nearby gradually merged into one settlement. However, everyone arrived there and new prospectors arrived, because of which the government was forced to allocate a small plot of land for the construction of a new city. Soon Johannesburg grew and became the largest city in the country by population.

Uzbekistan

One of the largest gold deposits in the world is located in the neighboring republic - this is the Muruntau mine in the southwest of the Kyzylkum desert in the Navoi region of Uzbekistan. Last year, he brought about 100 tons of gold, which allowed the country to enter the top ten world leaders in gold mining. The discovery of this deposit took place in 1958, and industrial gold mining at the mine began in 1969. The development of the deposit is carried out by the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combine.

The Okavango River flows on the African continent through Angola, Namibia and Botswana. It's interesting because it doesn't go anywhere. For 1,600 kilometers, it carries its waters not to the ocean, sea or lake. The Okavango forms a vast delta, spilling over the surrounding area and dissolving into the swamp. It is also interesting that this swampy lowland is located in the northwest of the Kalahari Desert. Incredible combination of swamp and desert. The Okavango Delta is the largest inland delta in the world. View of it from a height is striking in its beauty and eccentricity.

Okavango originates in the mountains of Angola, but in this country it is called Cubango. Further, it flows to the southeast and, reaching the Makgadikgadi depression in the territory of Botswana, overflows, forming a vast swamp. Scientists believe that even 10,000 years ago, the Okavango River had a completely ordinary delta, flowing into the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi. But over time, this reservoir dried up, leaving behind several salt lakes that exist only during the rainy season and for a short time after it. And the Okavango still carries its waters in the usual direction, only there is nowhere for it to flow - the desert is all around. The Kalahari Desert.

The Kalahari is Africa's largest desert south of the equator. Its area is already 600,000 square kilometers, and it continues to grow. Contrary to popular belief, deserts are not only hot sands and lack of rain. Deserts include territories in which the annual precipitation does not exceed 250-300 millimeters, and this amount is much less than the moisture consumed for evaporation. That is, it can even rain there, as, for example, in the Kalahari, where the rainy season begins in summer. The fauna of this desert is quite diverse. In addition to lizards and snakes, lions, cheetahs, leopards, rhinos, giraffes, antelopes and zebras live here. But the animal world reaches the greatest diversity in the swamps that form the Okavango.

The Okavango Delta is not only an unusual geographical feature, but also a unique biosystem. In these impenetrable swamps, hundreds of species of various animals, including very rare and unusual ones, wonderfully settled down. Thanks to the swamp, dense thickets of papyrus and water lilies, this region has been preserved almost in its original form. Of the people here are a few locals, tourists and photographers. They move here only on narrow small boats, otherwise it is simply impossible to get through the thickets of reeds. Interesting ungulates that have adapted to life in swamps live here: sitatunga antelope, marsh goats, red lychees. There are also lions and cheetahs that are accustomed to swamp life. In the Okavango Delta, the world of near-water birds is very rich and diverse.

And all this magnificent diversity on the edge of the desert is possible only thanks to the Okavango, an amazing river that dissolves into the sand, giving life.