What is special about Lake Baikal in Russia?

So large that it is often mistaken for a sea, Russia’s Lake Baikal is the deepest and oldest lake in the world, and the largest freshwater lake by volume. Famous for its crystal clear waters and unique wildlife, the lake is under threat by pollution, poaching and development.

What is the history of Lake Baikal?

Lake Baikal history At least 25 million years old, Lake Baikal is the oldest lake in the world. It and the surrounding mountains were formed by the Earth’s crust fracturing and moving.

How old is Lake Baikal in Russia?

25 million years
Situated in south-east Siberia, the 3.15-million-ha Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world’s total unfrozen freshwater reserve.

What are 3 facts about Lake Baikal?

Facts About Lake Baikal:

• Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world with a maximum depth of 1,632m.
• The first European to reach the lake is said to have been Kurbat Ivanov in 1643.
• Lake Baikal is the world’s largest volume of freshwater 23,000 cubic km.

What is so special about Lake Baikal?

The lake is located in a cold climate. However, Baikal is rich in biodiversity; the lake is superior to any fresh water lake in the world in that! The researchers say that Baikal looks like tropical seas with their vivid flora and fauna. Lake Baikal is also famous for legends, stories and unusual facts.

What is Lake Baikal known for?

Lake Baikal contains the greatest amount of fresh water of all water bodies on earth, equalling around 20% of the total liquid fresh water in the world, and it is known for its water clarity, greatest depth of all lakes, and it holds the status of the seventh largest lake in the world. The volume of Lake Baikal is greater than 23,6oo…

Why is Lake Baikal important to Russia?

According to the UNESCO World Heritage Commission, Lake Baikal is sometimes called the ” Galapagos of Russia” because of its exceptional biodiversity and importance to evolutionary science. The age, isolation and deep oxygenated water of Lake Baikal have resulted in one of the world’s richest freshwater ecosystems.

How was Lake Baikal formed?

Lake Baikal is a rift lake, meaning it was formed within a deep rift created by tectonic movement along fault lines, and lies in the Russian region of Siberia , between the Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast.