Satellite map of the lakes. Great Lakes on the map Lakes on the map of the Russian Federation

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

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

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

List of the largest lakes in Russia

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

Caspian Sea

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

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

Baikal

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

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

Ladoga lake

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

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

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

Lake Ladoga also serves as a key stopping point for the migratory birds of the North Atlantic Flyway, which typically mark the arrival of spring.

Lake Onega

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

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

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

Taimyr

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

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

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

Since 1983, the lake and its environs have been included in the Taimyr nature reserve. Scientists have found plutonium in the sediments of a lake thought to have entered Taimyr via wind-blown radioactive particles from nuclear tests conducted on Novaya Zemlya during the Cold War.

Khanka

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

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

Chudsko-Pskovskoe Lake

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

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

Ubsu-Nur

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

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

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

vats

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

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

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

Table of 10 largest lakes in Russia

lake name	Area, km²	Volume, km³	Dimensions, km	Maximum depth, m	Average depth, m
Caspian Sea	371000	78200	1200 by 435	1025	208
Baikal	31722	23615	636 by 79.5	1642	744,4
Ladoga lake	17870	838	219 by 125	230	46,9
Lake Onega	9720	285	248 by 83	127	30
Taimyr	4560	12,8	-	26	2,8
Khanka	4070	18,3	90 to 45	10,6	4,5
Chudsko-Pskovskoe Lake	3555	25	width 50	15	7,1
Ubsu-Nur	3350	35,7	85 to 80	20	10,1
vats	1400-2000	-	91 to 88	7	2,1
White lake	1290	5,2	46 to 33	20	4

Great Lakes- a group of five lakes in the east North America on the US-Canada border; the largest group of freshwater bodies on Earth. 2/3 of the water area is in the United States, and 1/3 is in Canada. The lakes are connected to each other by a series of rivers and straits. They are included in 1000 popular sights of the world according to our website.

The formation of these reservoirs began more than 10 thousand years ago as a result of tectonic processes. The total area of the water system is about 768 thousand km². The largest and deepest is Lake Superior. It has a border location: partly located in Ontario (on the Canadian side) and partly in Minnesota (on the United States side). Along the St. Marys River, it merges with neighboring Huron, which is inferior to it in size by almost 20 thousand km².

The water in the Upper is so cool that even in summer it does not warm up more than 4 ºC. It has a lot of commercial fish. The third body of water in the system is Lake Michigan. Unlike his "brothers", he completely falls on the territory of the United States. Ontario is considered to be the smallest lake in the system. With an area of just under 20,000 km², it is the world's 14th largest source of fresh water. With the help of the St. Lawrence River, it is connected to the ocean. It is a navigable lake with many port cities. Another lake, the fourth largest, is Erie.

Trout, sturgeon, whitefish and other fish species are found in all lakes of this system - more than 170 species in total. Coastal cities include Toronto, Chicago, Michigan, Buffalo, and others. Along the entire perimeter of reservoirs, the area of navigation is developed, both for passenger and freight traffic. The climate in the vicinity of the lakes is moderately humid with characteristic atmospheric differences. best season for water walks - autumn or the so-called "Indian summer".

Photo Attraction: Great Lakes

Great Lakes. Lake Superior

Great Lakes. Lake Michigan

Great Lakes. Lake Huron

Great Lakes on the map:

World around 4th grade

Seas, lakes and rivers of Russia

The shores of Russia are washed by the seas of the Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. The largest lakes in Russia are the Caspian Sea, Baikal, Ladoga, Onega. The largest rivers are the Volga, Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur.

Using the map in the textbook, sign on contour map(The world around us grade 4, pp. 30-31):

option 1 - Russian seas;
option 2 - lakes and rivers of Russia.

Ask a student sitting next to you to check your work.

Use the map in your textbook to determine which oceans the seas listed below belong to. Mark using the notation:

Sea of the North Arctic Ocean — Barents Sea, Chukchi Sea, Laptev Sea, Kara Sea, White Sea, East Siberian Sea
Seas Pacific Ocean — Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan, Bering Sea
Seas Atlantic Ocean — Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Sea of Azov

Our inquisitive Parrot considers himself the best geography expert in the world. Here are some of his statements. Are they true? Circle "Yes" or "No".

Great lakes of North America on the map

If not, write the correct answer.

a) The largest lake in the world is the Caspian Sea. Answer: YES
b) The deepest lake in the world is Ladoga. Answer: NO Baikal
c) The largest lake in Europe is Onega. Answer: NO Ladoga
d) Lake Onega and Ladoga are connected by the Svir River. Answer: YES
e) The Neva River flows out of Lake Ladoga, on which St. Petersburg stands. Answer: YES

This is the task Seryozha and Nadia offer you. Among these letters are the names of the largest rivers in Russia. Find them and paint over with pencils of different colors.

Using the map in your textbook, determine which rivers these cities stand on. Connect the names of cities and rivers with lines.

Cross out the excess geographical name in each listing. Explain (verbally) your decision.

a) Baltic Sea, Caspian Sea, White Sea, Sea of Okhotsk. The Caspian Sea is a lake, all other seas
b) Volga, Ob, Baikal. Lena. Baikal is a lake, everything else is a river
c) Baikal, Ladoga, Onego, Svir. The Svir is a river, everything else is a lake.

Satellite map of the Lakes. Explore the satellite map of the Lakes online in real time. A detailed map of the Lakes is based on satellite images high resolution. AT as close as possible satellite map Lakes allows you to explore in detail the streets, individual houses and sights of the Lakes. The map of the Lakes from the satellite easily switches to the regular map mode (scheme).

Lakes - a city located in, on the banks of the Oka. On the site of the modern city in the distant times of the 16th century there was the village of Ozerki, this is evidenced by the mentions in the cadastral book. In the middle of the 19th century, the village becomes a village. The development of the textile industry begins, the population grows. In 1925 Ozery received the title of city.

The modern city of Ozery attracts attention with its unique pristine natural beauty. Coniferous and mixed forests grow in the vicinity of the city, small streams, ponds and lakes can be seen here in large numbers.

Vacationers come to the Lakes with their families from May to September. Amateur fishermen will not be left without a catch, fish in the local waters is found in abundance. The forests are rich in mushrooms and berries, and those who want to splash in the water and sunbathe will find a well-maintained city beach. Flying clubs offer their visitors paragliding and skydiving. In winter, you can ski in the Lakes and breathe clean forest air. Boarding houses and a sanatorium will help restore health.

The city has a well-developed infrastructure, a confectionery plant, a mechanical plant, an optical glass plant, and the production of industrial refrigerators. Local newspapers are published, Ozyory Radio and local television are broadcasting.

Among the sights stand out "Nagornaya oak forest" (natural monument), excavations of the ancient settlement, Trinity Church, Museum of Local Lore.

Russia is located in the east of Europe and in the north of Asia, occupying about 1/3 of the territory of Eurasia and 1/9 of the earth's land. The European part of the country (about 23% of the area) includes territories to the west of Ural mountains(the border is conditionally drawn along the Urals and the Kumo-Manych depression); The Asian part of Russia, which occupies about 76% of the territory, lies to the east of the Urals and is also called Siberia (however, the exact definition of the boundaries of Siberia is a matter of dispute) and the Far East. The total length of Russia's borders is 60,933 km (of which 38,808 km are maritime borders); Russia's borders in the north and east are maritime, in the south and west they are mostly land. Despite the fact that Russia in terms of area is largest country world, climatic and soil conditions in most of its territory are not conducive to agriculture.

Russia is one of the most water-provided countries in the world. The country has one of the world's largest reserves of fresh water. Surface waters occupy 12.4% of the territory of Russia, while 84% of surface waters are concentrated to the east of the Urals; many densely populated areas of the European part of Russia are experiencing a shortage water resources. Production needs prevail in the structure of water use.

Russia has the deepest lake in the world (Baikal), the longest river in Europe (Volga) and the largest lake in Europe (Ladoga), the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere (Verkhoyansk), as well as highest peak Europe (Elbrus) (when drawing the border between Europe and Asia along the Great Caucasian ridge, and not along the rivers Kum and Manych to the mouth of the Don).

Lakes of Russia.

There are over 2.5 million lakes in Russia. The largest lakes are the Caspian, Ladoga, Onega, Baikal. The Caspian is the largest lake in the world in terms of area, and the deepest is Baikal. The lakes are very unevenly distributed. There are especially many of them in the Vilyui basin, on the West Siberian Plain and in the north-west of the European Plain - in Karelia. All these areas are in conditions of excessive moisture. To the south, in the zone of steppes and semi-deserts with their arid climate, the number of lakes decreases sharply, and many lakes have saline or brackish water. Salty are such drainless large lakes as the Caspian Sea, as well as lakes Elton and Baskunchak, where table salt is mined.
There are countless smaller lakes, located mainly in the poorly drained lowlands of the Russian and West Siberian Plains, especially in the more northern regions. Some of them reach significant sizes, in particular, Lake Beloe (1.29 thousand sq. km.), Topozero (0.98 thousand sq. km.), Vygozero (0.56 thousand sq. km.) and Lake Ilmen (0.98 thousand sq. km.) in the territory of the European north-west of the country, and Lake Chany (1.4-2 thousand sq. km.) in the south-west of Siberia.
Lakes also differ in the origin of the basins. Lakes of tectonic origin are located in troughs and dips of the earth's crust. The largest tectonic lake Baikal is located in a graben and therefore reaches a depth of 1637 m.
Glacial-tectonic lake basins arose as a result of the processing by the glacier of tectonic depressions in the earth's crust: Imandra, Ladoga, Onega. In Kamchatka and the Kuriles, lakes are mainly of volcanic origin. In the northwest of the European Plain, the origin of lake basins is associated with continental glaciations. Many basins are located between moraine hills: Seliger, Valdai.
As a result of collapses in mountain valleys dammed lakes arose: Sarez in the Pamirs, Ritsa in the Caucasus. Small lakes appear above karst sinkholes. In the south of Western Siberia, there are many saucer-shaped lakes that arose as a result of subsidence of loose rocks. When ice melts in permafrost areas, saucer-shaped shallow lakes also form. The oxbow lakes are located on the floodplains of lowland rivers. On the shores of the Black and Azov Seas there are lakes-estuaries.
All large and largest lakes in Russia are widely used in the national economy. They catch and breed fish. Especially a lot of fish, including the most valuable sturgeon, are caught in the Caspian. There is omul fishing in Baikal. The lakes are also used for navigation. A variety of minerals are mined in the basins of the lakes: oil and mirabilite in the Caspian Sea, table salt in Elton and Baskunchak.

The largest lakes in Russia.

Caspian Sea, area - 376,000 square kilometers, maximum depth - 1,025 meters.
Lake Baikal, area - 31,500 square kilometers, maximum depth - 1,620 meters.
Lake Ladoga, area - 17,700 square kilometers, maximum depth - 230 meters.
Lake Onega, area - 9,690 sq. km., maximum depth - 127 meters.
Taimyr lakes, area - 4,560 sq. km., maximum depth - 26 meters.
Lake Khanka, area - 4,190 sq. km., maximum depth - 11 meters.
Lake Peipus-Pskovskoye, area - 3,550 sq. km., maximum depth - 15 meters.
Lake Chany, area - 1 708-2 269 sq. km., the greatest depth - up to 10 meters.
White Lake, area - 1,290 sq. km., maximum depth - 6 meters.
Topozero, area - 986 sq. km., the greatest depth - 56 meters.
Lake Ilmen, area - 982 sq. km., the greatest depth - up to 10 meters.
Lake Imandra, area - 876 sq. km., maximum depth - 67 meters.
Khantai lake, area - 822 sq. km., maximum depth - 420 meters.
Segozero, area - 815 sq. km., maximum depth - 97 meters.
Kulunda Lake, area - 728 sq. km., the greatest depth - 4 meters.
Teletskoye lake, area - 223 sq. km., maximum depth - 325 meters.

Rivers of Russia.

Russia occupies a vast geographical area, and it is not surprising that numerous rivers spread over its expanses, which played an important historical role in the settlement and development of new lands. Almost all the largest cities of the country are located on the rivers. Within Russia there are about 3 million rivers with a total length of almost 10 million km. Most of the Russian rivers belong to the Arctic Ocean basin. It makes up over 66% of the country's area; up to 80% of atmospheric precipitation falls within its limits. Rivers flowing into northern seas, the longest and most full-flowing in Russia. The longest river Lena is 4400 km. The most full-flowing river is the Yenisei (623 km3 per year). In terms of catchment area, the first place in the country is occupied by the Ob (2975 sq. km.). The rivers of the Arctic Ocean are freezing. In winter, a winter road is installed along them for about four months - roads for the movement of cars and sledges.
The largest rivers of Siberia originate in the south of the country in the Altai, Sayan and Baikal mountains. The rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin are fed by snow and rain. In the spring, due to the melting of snow on the rivers, the water rises. The flood begins in the south, and in the north the ice for a long time prevents the flow of melt water to the ocean. Therefore, on all rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin, on average and downstream high water rises in spring. In the southern parts of the rivers of Siberia are swift and rapids. On these segments of the valleys, large hydroelectric power plants have been built and are being built: Krasnoyarsk and Sayano-Shushenskaya on the Yenisei, Novosibirsk on the Ob, Bukhtarma and Ust-Kamenogorsk on the Irtysh, Irkutsk, Bratsk and Ust-Ilimskaya on the Angara, on the tributaries of the Lena - Vilyui and Vitim - built Vilyui and Mamakanskaya HPP. In the northern plains, the course of these rivers is calm and smooth. In summer they are used for timber rafting and navigation, connecting the southern and inland regions of the country with the Northern Sea Route and the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The rivers of the European part of the Arctic Ocean basin - Pechora, Mezen, Northern Dvina and Onega are much shorter than the Siberian rivers. They flow completely over the plains and therefore have a calm current.
The Pacific Ocean covers approximately 19% of the country's area. The main river of this basin is the Amur and its tributaries Zeya, Bureya and Ussuri. Rivers are predominantly rain fed. In the conditions of the monsoon climate in the Pacific basin, little snow falls in winter, so there are no spring floods, but floods are very significant due to summer monsoon rains. The water in the Amur and its tributaries rises to 10-15 m and floods vast areas. Catastrophic spills usually occur in early autumn. At this time, sudden and stormy downpours of cyclones - typhoons often fall on the Far Eastern regions of the country. River floods reach several tens of kilometers and cause enormous damage. agriculture, cities and towns.
The Amur and its tributaries have a large fall and are rich in hydropower. The Zeya hydroelectric power station was built on the Zeya River. Amur - the main river highway Far East, through which the inland remote areas are connected with the seas. Along the rivers Argun, Amur and Ussuri passes state border Russia since People's Republic China.
Near the rivers of Chukotka and the basin of the Sea of Okhotsk, snow is predominantly fed. Therefore, they are full-flowing in late spring and early summer, which favors the movement of salmon fish, rising to spawn up rivers and streams.
The Caspian basin is called drainless, since the rivers carry their waters not to the World Ocean, but to an internal drainless reservoir - to the Caspian Sea. The basin covers the interior of the East European Plain, Southern Urals, the eastern part of the Caucasus.
The Volga, Ural, Araks, Terek, Emba and other rivers flow into the Caspian. The largest river is the Volga. Its basin occupies 34% of the East European Plain. Most of the tributaries of the Volga are located in a temperate continental climate with sufficient moisture. Food is mostly snowy. In the spring, when the snow melts, there is a significant rise in water in the river. In summer, the main source of food is groundwater and rain. Some rise of water in the channel also occurs in autumn, when evaporation is significantly reduced. Below the mouth of the large left tributary of the Kama, the Volga flows through the steppe and semi-desert zones, where there is very little precipitation and therefore there are no significant tributaries. Below Volgograd, the Volga has no tributaries and is of a transit nature. It only carries water and partially evaporates it. From here, the Volga splits into branches, the largest of which is Akhtuba. Below Astrakhan, the channel is divided into 80 branches, forming a vast delta. Now almost the entire Volga has turned into a cascade of dams and reservoirs. On the Upper Volga, not far from Tver, there is the Ivankovskoye Reservoir. From him begins the channel to them. Moscow, through which the Volga water is pumped for the water supply of Moscow. Below, the entire Volga to Volgograd turned into a chain of interconnected reservoirs (Uglich, Rybinsk, Gorky, Cheboksary, Kuibyshev, Saratov and Volgograd). They retain a significant part of the spring flood water, which is used to generate electricity, supply cities, and irrigate drylands. Thanks to reservoirs, the movement of large river vessels. Now the river is connected by the Volga-Don navigable canal with the Black and Azov seas, the Volga-Baltic - with the Baltic and White seas. Half of all river cargo and passengers of the country are transported along the Volga. But the reservoirs flooded large areas of fertile floodplain lands. The dams slowed down the flow of the Volga. As a result, a large amount of pollutants began to accumulate in the reservoirs, which come here from the fields, as well as with industrial and domestic effluents. Therefore, the river is currently heavily polluted.
The Atlantic Ocean basin occupies the smallest area - about 5% of the entire territory of Russia. Rivers flow west into the Baltic Sea and south into the Black and Sea of Azov. To the west flow the Western Dvina, Neman, Neva, etc. To the south - the Dnieper, Don and Kuban. All rivers of the Atlantic Ocean basin are full-flowing all year round, since most of their watersheds are located on the territory of sufficient moisture. They mainly feed on snow, and in summer - underground and rain. The rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea have very little runoff fluctuations, since precipitation falls evenly throughout the year. There are only small spring floods and autumn floods. The Neva River occupies a special place. This short river (74 km long) carries great amount water - 79.7 km3 per year, four times more than the Dnieper, which has a length of over 2 thousand km. Neva originates in Lake Ladoga and therefore its flow is constant throughout the year.
But almost every year it floods part of St. Petersburg with its waters. The culprits of the floods are surges of water from the Baltic Sea, which dam up the Neva. As a result, the water in the river rises by 2 - 3.5 m and splashes out of the granite embankments onto the streets and squares of the city.
The rivers of the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean basin receive water in their branched upper reaches. In the lower segments, they are of a transit nature, since here the rivers cross the steppe zone with an arid climate. The food of the Dnieper and Don is mainly snow, so they have high spring floods. A cascade of hydroelectric facilities and reservoirs has been built on the southern rivers. Reservoirs are used both to generate electricity and to irrigate arid lands in the south of the East European Plain. Rice and other agricultural crops are grown in the Sea of Azov and the North Caucasus thanks to the waters of the Don and Kuban.

The largest rivers of Russia.

Lena, length - 4320 km., Basin area - 2418 thousand sq. km.
Yenisei (with Biy-Khem), length - 4012 km., Basin area - 2707 thousand sq. km.
Ob (with Katun), length - 4070 km., Basin area - 2425 thousand sq. km.
Volga, length - 3690 km., Basin area - 1380 thousand sq. km.
Amur, length - 2824 km., Basin area - 1855 thousand sq. km.
Ural, length - 2530 km., Basin area - 220 thousand sq. km.
Kolyma, length - 2150 km., Basin area - 644 thousand sq. km.
Don, length - 1950 km., Basin area - 422 thousand sq. km.
Indigirka, length - 1790 km., Basin area - 360 thousand sq. km.
Pechora, length - 1790 km., Basin area - 327 thousand sq. km.
Northern Dvina (with Sukhona), length - 1300 km., Basin area - 411 thousand sq. km.
Yana (with Dulgalakh), length - 1070 km., Basin area - 318 thousand sq. km.
Selenga (with Ider), length - 1020 km., Basin area - 445 thousand sq. km.
Mezen, length - 966 km., Basin area - 76 thousand sq. km.
Kuban, length - 906 km., Basin area - 51 thousand sq. km.
Terek, length - 626 km., Basin area - 44 thousand sq. km.
Onega, length - 416 km., Basin area - 58 thousand sq. km.
Neva, length - 74 km., Basin area - 282 thousand sq. km.

The largest system of freshwater lakes in the United States and Canada is represented by 5 closely interconnected huge reservoirs that occupy an area of 245 thousand km2 (water volume 23 thousand km3). The lakes are arranged in staggered order from Upper Lake to lakes Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario, descending to the Atlantic, and interconnected by a network of small rivers and straits.

See where the Great American Lakes are located on the world map:

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The most majestic, deepest, coldest and largest among the Great Lakes of North America is Lake Superior. With harsh, almost untouched shores, it impresses with its size - 85 thousand km2 and depth - up to 406 m. Lake Superior is famous for its steep temper, in stormy weather the height of its waves can reach 12 meters. The northern coast has a particularly inaccessible view, where steep slopes are covered with pine forests and lichens.

The second largest among the Great Lakes of the United States and Canada is Lake Huron. It differs from its counterparts in the unusual outlines of the coast. The northern part of Huron is rocky, with steep banks, separated from the main part by Manitoulin Island. There are many rocky islands, rocks and volcanoes in Georgian Bay. In the southern part of the bay, the coast is represented by sandy beaches. In some places you can see 300-meter limestone cliffs, the so-called "Blue Mountains". The lake covers an area of 59 thousand km2, the depth is 228 m.

Lake Michigan will connect with about. Huron is a wide strait, over which rises the longest bridge in the world (8 km). The outlines of the banks of the reservoir are rectilinear. The northern part is wild and uninhabited. The southern part of the coast is densely populated (Chicago). The area of the third largest reservoir of the Great Lakes of North America is 58 thousand km, the depth is 281 m.

Lake Erie is surrounded by more picturesque scenery, enlivened by numerous national parks and reserves. The Point Pele Nature Reserve is one of the unique places on the continent, where vast swamps with a peculiar fauna have been preserved. The southeastern and northern shores are gently sloping and sandy. The south coast is densely populated, there are large industrial cities of the USA: Cleveland, Toledo, Buffalo. The northern Canadian coast is less populated. The full-flowing Niagara River flows out of Lake Erie, on which a 48-meter Niagara Falls. The area of Lake Michigan is 58 thousand km2, the maximum depth is 281 m.

Lake Ontario is the most small lake Great Lakes systems. Its area is only 19 thousand km2, but it is quite deep (the maximum depth is 244 m). The shores are low and gentle, sometimes covered with deciduous forest. Pointed rocks are often found in the southeast. On the northern Canadian coast are big cities: Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa. The region has many national parks in the United States and Canada. The St. Lawrence River flows out of the lake, through which there is a flow from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic.