World's Deepest | Oldest| Largest Freshwater Lake "Lake Baikal"
Lake Baikal is the world's deepest, oldest and largest freshwater lake (by volume). It is thought to have been created 20-25 million years ago. It is located in south-central Russia near the Mongolian border. In 1996 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to approximately 1,700 to 1,800 endemic plant and animal species. More than half the species found in Lake Baikal are unique to this place
Additionally, due to the depth of the lake it holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water. Over 300 rivers and streams flow into Lake Baikal. There are about 27 islands in Lake Baikal,most of them being uninhabited. The largest city near the lake is Irkutsk. It is also home to Buryat tribes who reside on the eastern side of the lake. According to the Siberian Times, more than 500,000 tourists visit Lake Baikal a year.
👉 Some Special Facts,
➡️where the mean temperature varies from a winter minimum of −19 °C (−2°F) to a summer maximum of 14 °C (57°F).
➡️Volume : 5,521 cubic miles of water (23,013 cubic kilometers). This volume is approximately equivalent to all five of the North American Great Lakes combined
➡️Depth : Maximum depth 5,354 feet (1,632 meters). Average depth: 2,442 feet (744 meters)
➡️Surface area: 12,248 square miles (31,722 sq km)
➡️Length : 397 miles (640 km)
➡️Width : maximum width 49 miles (79.5 km), Average width 29 miles (47 km), Minimum width 16 miles (25 km)
➡️Costline Area: 1,300 miles (2,100 km)
