With their crystal clear water, rich ecosystems and tranquil landscapes, lakes are some of the most magnificent natural wonders the world has to offer. In addition to their uplifting views, lakes can reach staggeringly large sizes.
Here is a list of the 10 largest lakes in the world that you can add to your checklist of places to visit in the future.
10. Great Slave Lake, Canada – 28,930 km²
The second largest lake in Canada is also the deepest lake in all of North America. To reach the bottom, you'd have to swim down 614 meters.
Once part of the massive glacial Lake McConnell, Great Slave Lake is now known for its self-sufficient floating homes, which were even featured in a documentary (Ice Lake) that aired on Animal Planet.
Despite its name, this lake did not serve as the final resting place for hundreds of slaves, nor was it a place where boats filled with slaves sailed back and forth every day.
The name Great Slave Lake was given in honor of one of the names (slave) of the Indian people Dene. And the translators considered that it comes from the English word "slave".
9. Nyasa, Africa - 30,044 km²
It is the southernmost lake in the Rift Valley in Tanzania, East Africa. It contains 7% of the world's fresh water reserves.
Lake Nyasa (or Malawi, but the name of the republic where it is located) is home to more species of fish than any other lake on the planet. There are at least 700 species of cichlids alone.
And if you get tired of admiring the local fish and snails, you can always relax on one of the beautiful beaches and get a good tan under the bright African sun.
8. Great Bear Lake, Canada – 31,080 km²
This is the largest lake in Canada. And it is located interestingly - right on the Arctic Circle, where the taiga and tundra regions border.
It was here that the first uranium deposits were discovered. The lake is covered with ice for 9 months of the year, so the shipping season is very short.
But the fishing and hunting here are great. It's not easy to get here, but if you do, you won't regret it, because the places around Big Bear Lake are very beautiful. And the settlements surrounding the lake are home to the indigenous Dene Indian people and the "bear people" tipi. So if you've long dreamed of seeing real Indians (even if they are quite modern, and not waving tomahawks), then you know where to go.
7. Baikal, Russia – 31,500 km²
Before you is the deepest lake in the world, and this is far from the only interesting fact about Baikal. Its greatest depth reaches 1642 meters. It contains the largest reserves of fresh water. It is also the cleanest lake on the planet.
Lake Baikal is located at an altitude of over 455 meters above sea level and is home to 1,000 species of plants and 2,500 species of animals. One of the unique animals that has taken a liking to Lake Baikal is the freshwater seal or Baikal seal. Scientists still do not know exactly how this animal ended up in the waters of the lake - whether it swam from the Arctic Ocean along the river system, or from the Lena River, which could have drained from Lake Baikal.
But having settled into its new place, the pinniped traveler still feels great, having risen to the top of the food chain in the Baikal ecosystem. The only danger for the Baikal seal is man.
6. Tanganyika, Africa – 32,893 km²
This great African lake is the second oldest freshwater lake in the world and, in addition, the longest freshwater lake in the world.
More than 85 percent of the lake is located in Tanzania and the DR Congo, with the remainder in Burundi and Zambia.
Tanganyika is home to many crocodiles and hippos, as well as the ringed water cobra, one of the most beautiful and placid species of cobra in the world. These cobras are even recommended as a first pet for beginner terrarium keepers due to their peaceful nature.
5. Michigan, USA – 58,000 km²
It is part of the Great Lakes system along with Lake Superior and Lake Huron. These three lakes are connected into a single system by straits, but they are usually considered separate lakes.
Lake Michigan's extensive shoreline is sometimes called the "Third Coast" of the United States because of its long, beautiful beaches.
4. Huron, USA - 59,600 km²
It boasts the longest shoreline of all the Great Lakes and was the first of the lakes to be explored by Europeans in the 1600s.
French explorers Samuel de Champlain and Etienne Brulé discovered Huron Bay in 1615, initially thinking it was a separate lake because it seemed separated from the rest of Lake Huron by Manitoulin Island. However, given that this island is considered the largest in the world, the explorers' concern is understandable.
3. Lake Victoria, Africa – 69,485 km²
The third largest lake in the world, located in East Africa on the territory of 3 countries. Third in fresh water reserves after Upper and Baikal. Named in honor of Queen Victoria by the British traveler and discoverer John Speke.
This lake is also the main reservoir and source of the magnificent Nile River.
Victoria has 85 different islands, all of which are within Uganda, with the exception of one located in Kenya. All of these islands are famous for their endemic fauna, which inhabit a richly hydrated ecosystem. Simply put, the animals that live there are found nowhere else. No wonder this attracts crowds of tourists to the islands.
2. Lake Superior, Canada and the USA – 82,414 km²
Situated on the border of Canada and the United States, this lake is the largest freshwater lake in the world by area. It contains more water than all the other Great Lakes combined.
The original name translated as "Big Water", then as "the highest lake", but was later renamed with the caveat that it was the largest on the continent.
1. Caspian Sea - 371,000 km²
Despite its geographical name of "sea", the Caspian Sea is the largest lake on Earth by area. It is called a sea because of its oceanic tectonic features, but in fact it is a large endorheic lake, the water level of which is subject to constant fluctuations. Although several rivers connect to the Caspian Sea, it still remains completely separate from the ocean.
The Caspian Sea is located on the border of Europe and Asia and has different levels of salinity, from 0.05% at the mouth of the Volga to 13% in the south.
The outsider, having dropped out of the top ten largest lakes, is the Aral Sea, which is a large salt lake with no outlet to the ocean. The shallowing process has led to the area of its water surface decreasing to 8,303 km².
Оставить Комментарий