TOP Russian lakes with unusual names. List, names, descriptions, maps and photos of the largest lakes in Russia Lakes starting with the letter m around the world

This list of 50 stunningly beautiful lakes will undoubtedly add to your knowledge and broaden your horizons! This is a list of the world's most famous lakes, but some may be unfamiliar to you.

Lake Victoria
69,485 km2 (26,828 sq mi). The largest lake in Africa. It is a border lake, and.

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

Moraine Lake, Canada - Moraine Lake

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

Lake Annette, Canada - Lake Annette

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

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

Spotted Lake or Kliluk (Spotted Lake), Canada
In Osoyoos, British Columbia, a 38-acre natural lake that has one of the highest concentrations of minerals in the world.

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

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

Riffelsee, Switzerland
Riffelsee is an incredible sight of mirror surface with the Matterhorn mountain in the background.

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

Lake Solbjornvannet, Norway

Mirror Lake, California - Mirror Lake - a small, seasonal lake near Tenaya Creek Canyon in the US National Park, Yosemite.

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

Horseshoe Lake, Canada - Horseshoe Lake

Emerald Lake, Canada - Emerald Lake

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

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

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

Lake Malawi, Tanzania - Lake Malawi / Malawi and Mozambique (Malawi and Mozambique) 30,044 km2 (11,600 sq mi). The lake is divided between Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. Africa's second deepest lake, this tropical reservoir has more fish species than any other lake on Earth.

Lake Louise, Canada - Lake Louise, Canada

Lake Isabella, Colorado - Lake Isabelle, Colorado
A popular tourist destination, Lake Isabelle offers incredible views of Navajo and Apache peaks.

Crater Lake, Oregon - Crater Lake, Oregon

Barclay Lake, Washington State - Barclay Lake, Washington

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

Ancient underground lake Reed flute, China - Reed Flute Cave. This is a limestone cave in Guangxi, China. More than 180 million years old. Since the 1940s, it has become famous throughout the world due to the colorful caves around the lake.

Lough Ree(Loch RI or Loch Ríbh) is the geographical center of Ireland, the midlands. Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the River Shannon after Lough Derg. The other two large lakes are Lough Allen to the north, and Lough Derg to the south. Province of Leinster in County Roscommon the lake is popular for Irish legends about the monster.

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

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

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

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

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

Aral Sea(Kazakh: Aral Tenizi; Mongolian: Aral tengis; Tajik: Bakhri Aral; Persian: دریای خوارزم Daryâ- you Khârazm) was a closed lake between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan in the south. The name roughly translates to “sea of islands” (more than 1,100 islands were scattered across its waters). The catchment covers parts of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Formerly one of the four largest lakes in the world, with an area of 68,000 km 2 (26,300 sq mi), the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since 1960 after the rivers that fed the lake were redirected through Soviet irrigation projects. The drying up of the Aral Sea has been called "one of the worst environmental disasters on the planet"

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

Lake Champlain— Lake Champlain lies directly on Burlington, the border between the United States and Canada. At the northern tip is the historically interesting Fort Ticonderoga. Lake Champlain offers cruises and ferries to Vermont and New York.

Lake Natron is a salt and soda lake in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania. The lake is located near the Kenyan border in the Eastern Rift Branch of the East African Wetland of International Importance. Lake Natron is a basin of the Ramsar Valley, fed mainly by central Kenya's rivers and hot springs. The unusual color of the water is created by cyanobacteria. Due to high evaporation, salt-loving microorganisms begin to flourish.

Lake Tahoe, North America's largest alpine lake known for its cobalt blue waters and surrounding snow-capped peaks. Lake Tahoe is the state border between the states of California and Nevada, and a popular resort in the Sierra Nevada.

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

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

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

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

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

The list of the most famous lakes in the world can rightfully include the unnamed:

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

- 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 ravine, 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.

Water has always had an effect on people not only bewitching, but also calming. People came to her and told about their sorrows; in her calm waters they found special peace and harmony. That's why Russia's numerous lakes are so remarkable!

The beauty and charm of the water surface

The calm, mirror-like surface is still water, surrounded on all sides by shores. It is also a place of worship and aesthetic pleasure. What types of lakes are there? They can be deep (sometimes deeper than the seas) and shallow, fresh and salty, large in area and small, of volcanic, tectonic, moraine origin. Their ages also differ from each other. There are no ugly or boring ones, the map shows that there are an infinite number of them, and each of them is beautiful and perfect in its own way.

Surely any traveler who has visited this country at least once or a resident will have his own favorite or even sacred lake. In any case, visiting them is highly recommended. Once you see Baikal or Lake Teletskoye, you will fall in love with it once and for all! This is the place of power that fills you with energy after years of work, stuffy city air and prolonged social contact. It is important not only to contemplate beauty with reverence, but also to protect it.

Deep abyss of Baikal

What is Russia like? Of course, this is the mysterious and unique Baikal! Even every schoolchild has heard about him. This is simply a magical and unique place with pure, pure water that always has a deep blue tint. If there is not a cloud in the sky, then the surface of the water becomes simply emerald! The deep lake is of high ecological value and is included in the UNESCO list. The water here is fresh, and the depth reaches 1642 meters, which allows it to be compared with the depths of the Arctic Ocean (depth 1220 meters). If suddenly there is no more, then the deepest lake in Russia will be able to quench the thirst of the population of the whole world for 50 years, since it makes up a fifth of all reserves.

It is considered the oldest lake. Think for yourself - its age is 25 million years! Its depth is due to a large crack in the earth's crust. The continental depression is gradually increasing. The largest island here is Olkhon Island, stretching over 71 kilometers. It divides Baikal into the Small Sea (eastern part) and the Big Sea (western part).

The waters here are crystal clear, so you can see down to 40 meters, allowing you to spot the local deep-sea inhabitants. The water temperature is usually around +8 degrees Celsius. Baikal is also famous for its hot springs. Two large cities located near its waters are Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude. Near the calm surface of the lake it is not entirely serene. Earthquakes, small and large, happen here all the time.

The Pearl of Karelia - Lake Onega

Baikal is the most beautiful place, but there are also other lakes in Russia that captivate travelers with their mystery. Onega is one of them. They even began to call it the sea, since it is the second largest in Europe after Ladoga. The length of the lake is 245 kilometers, the greatest depth is 130 meters. Since the distant ice age, many local inhabitants have remained here - fish and amphibians. This place is a treasure trove of loot for those who like to fish. The northern region is ideal for habitat of valuable fish species: trout, salmon, sterlet.

Lake Peipsi - the grandeur of the dunes

Where is another one of the largest and most beautiful lakes located? In the northern regions, like most others. Lake Peipsi is located near Latvia and Estonia. It separates these two countries from the Pskov region. The longest length is 90 kilometers and the width is 47 kilometers. The lake is constantly replenished with water from many small rivers and large streams. What is remarkable about the shores of Lake Peipsi on the northern side? They are a continuous chain of dunes that stretch into the distance. Their height is quite impressive - about eight, and in some places even 10 meters. Closer to the west the dunes become flatter. The southern side is filled with boulders of Finnish granite.

There is also an island, lost in the brilliant water surface. It is located in the south of the lake and has the name “Zhelachek” (“Mezha”). It also contains two small villages.

The western part of Lake Peipsi is no less interesting for travelers. The shores in this area have their own unique outlines. Calm bays are combined with steep headlands and gently sloping shores. These capes are so high that they reach up to 24 meters. The depth of the lake is 7.5 meters. What is the bottom? It consists mainly of sand, clayey and sandy silt. This is not a crystal clear body of water like Baikal or the lakes of the Alps, from an aesthetic point of view. Silty sediments make the water cloudy. This place also did not go unnoticed by fishermen. The vast waters are rich in a variety of fish. There are burbot, pike perch, salmon and others.

Velikaya Ladoga

How beautiful are the names of Russian lakes! For example, it captivates us with the beauty of the nature of the North and became a savior during the Second World War. The northern shores are dotted with labyrinths of straits. There are even islands and trees growing on them. The bottom relief systematically increases from the south (51 meters) to the north (depth 230 meters).

There are many islands here, frozen in the form of sheer bizarre cliffs, their height reaches 70 meters. The eastern coast is not as rugged as the western coast, where forests and shrubs can be found. Lake Ladoga is fed by the waters of thirty-two rivers. The Neva River flows out of it in full flow, the length of which reaches 74 kilometers.

By the way, there are a large number of rainy days here, although the greatest amount of precipitation occurs in the warm season. The winds are quite strong, which leads to excitement on the lake. The height of the waves can reach four meters. The water temperature in the warm season stays at +8 degrees Celsius.

Caspian sea-lake

It is not only the largest lake in the world, but also quite deep. Although scientifically it is considered to be a sea. The deep ones are mysterious and interesting for the traveler in their own way. In the northern part the depth is small - only 5 meters. In the middle it is already getting deeper - 20 meters. The southern part of the Caspian Sea is the deepest - it reaches 1025.

This sea or lake is unevenly salty. In places where river mouths are located, the water is fresher. The water level in the lake is 25 meters below the ocean. On the shore there are such large cities as Baku and Makhachkala. The climate is sharply continental, so temperatures are low in winter and quite high in summer. The large Urals and Volga flow into the Caspian Sea.

Salt Lake Chany

There are also salt lakes in Russia, for example Chany. It is located in the Novosibirsk region and is classified as drainless. The word "chany" translated from Turkic means "large vessel". Already in October the lake is covered with ice and thaws only in May. Although its waters warm up to 28 degrees Celsius in summer. The area of the lake always fluctuates and reaches 2000 square meters. It is not very deep - only 2 meters is the average. Along the banks, which are very rugged, there are thickets of reeds, reeds, various shrubs and sedges.

What else is remarkable about Lake Chany? There are up to 70 islands on the water surface, some of them are not only large, but also represent amazing landscapes, have a great variety of plants and rare animal species. The salt lakes of Russia have varying degrees of salinity. Chany is lightly salted, since the main food is melted snow. The weather on the lake is a reflection of the continental climate. In winter, snow cover can reach up to 30 cm in height.

For tourists, there are many recreation centers here, and there are corners where you can fish. Those who prefer boating should be careful - there are often storms here. Chany is also considered a mysterious, and according to some stories, an anomalous place. There is a legend that there is a strange animal of enormous size that harms people and livestock.

- volcanic beauty

This beautiful creation of nature is located in the very south of the Kamchatka Peninsula and is considered freshwater. The maximum depth reaches 306 meters, so it can safely be classified as deep-sea. Some islands that can be found on the surface are peculiar volcanic domes that rose from the bottom as a result of squeezing out magma.

Such lakes in Russia are of particular value, which is why Kurilskoe is included in the UNESCO heritage list. There are even some called “Kuril Springs”. Their temperature reaches 45 degrees Celsius.

The cold inaccessibility of Lake Taimyr

This unique lake can only be compared in area to Lake Baikal. It is considered the northernmost on the planet. What unusual can a traveler find here? It is characterized not only by cold beauty and grandeur, but also by the fact that the water here constantly changes its level. The lake is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory beyond the Arctic Circle on the peninsula of the same name in the tundra.

We can say that local waters are covered with ice all year round. The greatest depth is 26 meters. The water temperature in the summer does not rise above 8 degrees Celsius, and in winter it drops to zero. The thickness of the ice can reach three meters. Oddly enough, in the waters of Taimyr there are fish - whitefish, muksun, whitefish, vendace.

Moraine lakes of Russia. Seliger

Forests, swamps, cozy coves - all this is the surrounding area of Lake Seliger. It is located in the Tver and Novgorod regions. The landscapes in this area are predominantly hilly, and in some places plains predominate. Natural beaches contrast with steep shores covered with coniferous trees. There are about 160 medium and small islands on the lake. The surface is covered with ice in the cold season and is opened only in May. All lakes in Russia are accompanied by unique vegetation. Not only coniferous trees grow near Seliger, but also oaks, bird cherry, and rowan.

What exactly are moraine lakes? These are very picturesque corners of nature, their amazing beauty and unusual origin are simply amazing. The lakes of Russia are of the moraine type - the so-called “depressions” or “closed basins”, which appeared many years ago as a result of the melting of blocks of ice, which is why they are also commonly called “glacial”. They can be found only in the north and northwest of Russia. They are rarely large in size and depth. Usually their average depth does not exceed 10 meters, the banks are usually very indented. The largest of those reservoirs that can be classified as moraine are Chudsko-Pskovskoe, Seliger, Ilmen, which was once called the Slovenian Sea by the Slavs.

Conclusion

As we can see, Russia is a lake region that is sure to please even the most experienced traveler.

When we all hear the word “lake,” we imagine some quiet body of water surrounded by a visible shore line. 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. The article is divided into three pages to accommodate more interesting information and photographs. Read, rate, leave comments and feedback in discussions.

10th place

So, at the end of the list of the largest lakes in the world we have a lake called Nyasa. It is located simultaneously in Africa, in Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi.

Located in a fault depression at an altitude of 472 m. Area 30.8 thousand sq. km. Depth up to 706 m (in the northern part of the reservoir, where its bottom lies significantly below sea level). The shores are steep and rocky, high, especially in the north and northeast.

The southern part of the basin lies in a wide depression; the shores are framed by a narrow strip of coastal plain. The average annual flow of water into the lake (river runoff plus precipitation) is about 72 km2, evaporation is about 66 km3.

The lake is rich in fish (about 230 species), in particular tilapi species, there are crocodiles, hippos, and a lot of waterfowl. With the light hand of some scientists, it is called the birthplace of aquarium fish. Lake Nyasa is also characterized by strong storms and surf on steep shores, making navigation difficult (passengers are transported only during the day).

Small, isn’t it?) There are 9 more such “crumbs” ahead, and they will be by no means smaller...

9th place

In 9th place - Great Bear Lake

Great Bear Lake- the largest lake in Canada, the fourth largest in North America. The lake is located in the Arctic Circle, between 65 and 67 degrees north latitude and 118 and 123 degrees west longitude, at a level of 186 m above sea level.

The lake has an outflow through the Great Bear River into the Mackenzie River. The only settlements on the lake are Deline on the southwest end and Echo Cove on the northeast side.

You can see such beauty on this lake)

8th place

In eighth place on the list of the largest lakes in the world - Baikal- also the deepest lake on the planet.

Baikal is a lake of tectonic origin in the southern part of Eastern Siberia, the deepest lake on planet Earth, the largest natural reservoir of fresh water. The lake and coastal areas are distinguished by a unique diversity of flora and fauna, most of the species are endemic. Local residents and many in Russia traditionally call Baikal the sea.

The lake is covered with ice for more than half of the year, the freeze-up period is January 15 - May 1, navigation is carried out from June to September. Since 1956, the lake has been an integral part of the Irkutsk (Baikal) reservoir of long-term regulation, formed by the dam of the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station.

Baikal is located in the center of Asia, in Russia, on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. The lake stretches from north to southwest for 636 km in the form of a giant crescent. The width of Lake Baikal ranges from 25 to 80 km.

Olkhon Island

The water surface area is 31,722 sq. km, which is approximately equal to the area of countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands or Denmark. The length of the coastline is 2,100 km.

The lake is located in a kind of hollow, surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges and hills. At the same time, the western coast is rocky and steep, the relief of the eastern coast is flatter (in some places the mountains recede tens of kilometers from the coast).

7th place

Lake Tanganyika- a large lake in Central Africa. This is one of the largest lakes in the world 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 - 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 side walls 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.

The lake was discovered in 1858 by English travelers R. Burton and J. Speke.

6th place

The sixth largest lake in the world is Aral Sea

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 destroy 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:

And this is a photo from 2008

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...

5th place

In the middle of the list of the largest lakes in the world 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.

4th place

Lake Huron is the fourth largest lake in the world. 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 largest island in the world, located in a fresh lake.

3rd place

Closes the top three largest lakes 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 fish 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.

2nd place

Confidently secured second place 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 limited by the territory of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the west - by the American state of Minnesota, 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 level fluctuations caused by strong surge winds and seiches reach 3-4 m, tidal height is 3-4 cm

1 place

The Caspian Sea tops the ranking" The largest lakes in the world"- 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 Zhiloy (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 6500 - 6700 kilometers, with islands - up to 7000 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.

In continuation, read also about the most beautiful lakes in Scotland, to which a separate photo strip is dedicated.

Russia is a country with rich and unique natural resources, it has something to surprise and amaze: forests, rivers, fields, and of course its lakes too, which are also called “the blue eyes of our planet,” which is undoubtedly very beautiful and poetic. On its territory of the Russian Federation there are about two million lakes, their total area is 350 thousand km 2, the volume of water in all lakes is more than 26 thousand m 3. Most of the lakes are of glacial origin.

Large lakes of Russia

The largest lakes located in the European part of Russia are Onega, Ladoga, Chudsko-Pskov, Ilmen, and a huge number of lakes in the “lake region” of the Republic of Karelia.

The lakes of the Asian part of Russia are the Caspian Sea-lake, Lake Baikal, Russia's northernmost lake Taimyr, the Far Eastern Lake Khanka and the salt lake Chany in southwestern Siberia.

The Caspian Lake is the largest closed, closed reservoir on Earth, its area is 371 thousand km 2, and its level is 28 meters below sea level (in Russia this is the Baltic Sea). Due to the large size and specific structure of the bed (it contains the oceanic crust), it is also called the sea. The conventional border between Europe and Asia runs along its surface; it washes the shores of Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran. The Russian Caspian region is the territory of the Republic of Dagestan, Kalmykia, Astrakhan region (northern and northwestern part of the Caspian Sea)...

Lake Baikal is one of the most picturesque places in our country, it is the deepest lake on the planet; huge reserves of fresh water are stored here - 85% of all Russian reserves and 22% of the world's. Its area is 31.7 thousand km 2, length - 636 km, width 48 km, maximum depth - 1637 m. Baikal is the oldest lake, it is about 30 million years old, its basin is located in a rift basin, its water is particularly clean and transparency, the area around the lake (mountains, hills, dense deciduous forests) is uniquely picturesque...

The northern and eastern coasts of Lake Ladoga are located in the Republic of Karelia, the southern and western coasts are in the Leningrad region. Its area together with the islands is 18.3 thousand km 2, it is the largest freshwater lake in Europe. It has access to the Atlantic Ocean, more than 40 rivers and lakes flow into it, and the Neva River flows out (it flows into the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, which is part of the Atlantic). In the southern part there are three large bays, large cities on its coast - Priozersk, Shlisselburg, Novaya Ladoga (Leningrad region), Sortavala, Lakhdenpokhya (Karelia)...

Lake Onega is located in the north-west of Russia, 80% of it is located on the territory of the Republic of Karelia, 20% - in the Leningrad and Vologda regions. Its area together with the islands is 9.7 thousand km 2, it is the second largest freshwater lake in Europe. The lake basin is located at the junction of the Baltic Shield and the Russian Platform. About 50 rivers carry their waters into the lake, only one flows out - the Svir. Kondopoga, Petrozavodsk, Medvezhyegorsk (Republic of Karelia) were built on its banks...

Lake Taimyr with an area of 4.5 thousand km2 is called the “northern brother” of Baikal, because it is the second largest freshwater lake in the Asian part of Russia. It is located on the Taimyr Peninsula in the Krasnoyarsk Territory of the Russian Federation. The lake is located beyond the Arctic Circle, its surface is covered with ice from September to July. The Upper Taimyr flows into it, and the Lower Taimyr (Kara Sea basin) flows out...