The deepest lake in the world

introduction

Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, and it is also one of the largest and oldest lakes in the world. This lake is located in central Asia, specifically in Russia, approximately 400 miles from southeastern Siberia to the north of the Mongolian border. This lake is distinguished from others by its beauty. ; It is one of the natural miracles of Siberia, and for this reason we will take a quick tour of the most important information related to it.

Its history

Lake Baikal was formed 25 million years ago, and it is very deep, as we talked about in the introduction. You find it surrounded by high mountain ranges, and it attracts many tourists from inside and outside Russia. There are those who go to it for the purpose of treatment with its waters, and the other to enjoy its picturesque nature. There are about 27 islands in Lake Baikal, and more than 300 streams and rivers flow into it.

The lake in numbers

The depth of Lake Baikal reaches 636 km in the north and 1637 km in the south. It is called the “fifth ocean in the world” because it contains a large reserve of fresh water, equivalent to (23.6) thousand cubic kilometers (about 20% of the amount of fresh water in the world, which is more than what it contains). The Great Lakes of North America combined), noting that they were included by UNESCO in the World Natural Heritage List in 1996.

its climate

There are violent earthquakes that may strike this lake from time to time, knowing that it is a hollow lake that is not symmetrical, as there are many cliffs that surround it. Temperatures range in winter -21 degrees Celsius, while in summer it reaches about 11 degrees Celsius. The surface of Lake Bakiel freezes in January and melts in May, and the water temperature on the surface in August ranges between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius, and in shallow waters it reaches 20 degrees Celsius. During the Russo-Japanese War, the ice of Lake Baikal was so thick that they could lay a railway to transport supplies from Russia to the battle front during the winter.

Plant and animal life

The plant and animal life in the lake varies, as it is between 1500 and 1800 species of animals that live at different depths, and hundreds of plant species live on or near the surface. There are about 50 species of fish, which belong to seven families.

The most popular industries

There are many industries scattered along the shores of Lake Baikal, such as: cellulose industry, paper, shipbuilding, fisheries, wood and many others.

Conclusion

Those who wish to visit Lake Baikal must go to it in the summer if they want to see its waters and enjoy its therapeutic properties. As for those who want to see it icy, they must visit it in the winter and bear the coldness of its climate there.