Which lake is the largest in area. What are the largest lakes in the world and where are they located?

The total area occupied by all the lakes on the planet is about 2.5 million km², which is 1.8% of the surface of the globe. There are a large number of lakes of various sizes - some are small, and some are larger in area than some seas.

This selection presents the ten largest lakes in the world.

10th place: Great Slave is the fifth largest and deepest lake in North America, with an area of ​​28,568 km² and a depth of 614 meters. It is located in the Northwest Territories of Canada at an altitude of 156 meters above sea level. Together with other large lakes in the region, Bolshoye Nevolnichye is the remnant of a vast post-glacial body of water. The southern and eastern shores cut into the granite edges of the Canadian Shield, while the northern and western shores border the Badlands - the Canadian tundra. The cold lake, which freezes from October to June, got its name thanks to the Slavey Indians who lived in this territory. By pure coincidence, the name of the tribe is very similar in sound to the English “slave”, which translates as “slave”, “slave”.

9th place: Malawi, also known as Nyasa, is a lake of tectonic origin, containing 7% of the world's fresh water. It is part of the African Great Lakes and is the third largest lake in Africa with an area of ​​29,600 km². The depth of the reservoir is 706 meters, which makes it the second deepest on the African continent and sixth in the world. Lake Malawi, located in the south of the East African Rift Valley, fills a deep depression between Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi. It is fed by the waters of 14 rivers, among which the most important are Ruhuhu, South and North Rukuru, Bua and Dwangwa. Only one river flows out of Malawi - the Shire, which flows in the southern part of the lake and flows into the Zambezi River. Powerful storms and surf often rage along the steep shores of the lake, making navigation very difficult.

8th place: Big Bear- the largest lake in Canada and the fourth largest in North America. The area of ​​the reservoir is 31,153 km², depth - 413 m. The lake is located in the Northwest Territories of Canada in the Arctic Circle at an altitude of 186 meters above sea level. The Great Bear Lake basin was formed by a glacier that covered this area in the past. The Great Bear River flows from the lake, which merges with the Mackenzie River, which in turn carries water to the Beaufort Sea. In 1930, Canadian explorer Gilbert Labin discovered uranium deposits in this territory, which played a significant role in the history of mankind - the uranium mined in the mine built here was used to make bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

7th place: - the deepest (1642 m) lake in the world and the largest reservoir of fresh water. The area of ​​its water surface is 31,722 km², and the length of the coastline is 2,100 km. Surrounded by mountain ranges and taiga, the reservoir is located on the border of the Republic of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. Baikal extends from northeast to southwest for 620 km, forming the shape of a giant crescent. More than 330 rivers flow into the lake, but only one flows out - the Angara. Baikal and its coastal areas abound with unique representatives of flora and fauna, most of which are endemic (that is, found only here).

6th place: - the second deepest and second largest freshwater lake in the world, located in the western part of the East African Rift, which is called the Albertine Rift. One of the largest lakes on the planet, with a total area of ​​32,900 km², belongs to four countries - Tanzania, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi. The reservoir, stretching from north to south, has a length of 673 km, which gives it the status of the longest lake in the world. The main tributaries are the Ruzizi and Malagarasi, and the only river flowing from Tanganyika is the Lukuga River. The lake is home to a large number of endemic species (190 of the 250 fish species found in Tanganyika), including those from the cichlid family, the brightest representatives of which are highly valued in the aquarium fish market.

5th place: - the only of the five Great Lakes of North America, located entirely in the United States. Its area is 57,750 km² and it is the third largest among the North American lake quintet. The depth of the lake is 281 m, the height above sea level is 177 m. With the help of the wide Strait of Mackinac, Michigan is connected to Lake Huron, and the Chicago-Lockport ship canal connects it to the Mississippi River. The reservoir got its name from the word mishigami, translated from the Ojibwe Indian language meaning “big water.” The first European to reach Lake Michigan in 1634 was French explorer Jean Nicolet. The states of Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois have access to the lake, and the largest cities on its coast are Highland Park and Evanston, Chicago, Green Bay and Milwaukee, Hammond and Gary.

4th place: - one of the North American Great Lakes, located in Canada and the USA. With an area of ​​59,600 km², it has the second largest water surface in North America. The depth of the lake is 229 m, the height above sea level is 176 m. The French were the first to discover it, who gave it its name, which comes from the name of the Huron Indian tribe that lived here. The lake is replete with islands - there are up to 30 thousand of them, one of them - Manitoulin - is the largest island in the world located in a freshwater body of water. Huron is also famous for the fact that its waters contain a huge number of sunken ships. According to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, about 6,000 ships sank in the lake, but some historians claim that the total number of shipwrecks exceeds 25,000. Several wrecks are located in shallow waters, which attracts a large number of scuba diving enthusiasts to these places.

3rd place: - one of the Great African Lakes, located in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. This the largest lake in Africa and the largest tropical lake in the world. Its area is 68 thousand km², length - 320 km, and depth - 80 m. The lake lies in a tectonic trough formed on the East African platform, at an altitude of 1134 m. The African pearl was discovered in July 1858 by the English traveler John Henning Speke, who and gave the lake the name of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. The lake is fed mainly by precipitation and many small tributaries. The largest tributary is the Kagera River, which flows into the western part of the lake; two rivers flow out of the lake: Victoria Nile and Katonga. Lake Victoria seems to be a real paradise for anglers; according to scientists, about 100 species of fish live here, many of which are endemic.

2nd place: - the largest (82.7 thousand km²) of the five North American Great Lakes and the largest freshwater lake in the world by water surface area. It is located at an altitude of 183 m above sea level in a lake bowl formed by a glacier in the ancient rocks of the Canadian Shield. Lake Superior lies on the border of the United States and Canada - in the north it borders with the Canadian province of Ontario, in the west and south - with the American states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. The coldest body of water in North America is fed by the waters of more than 200 rivers, the largest of which are Nipigon, Peak, Brule, and Michipicoten. Water flows through the Saint Marys River, which connects Superior to Lake Huron. Since the lake is not protected by mountain ranges, it is blown from all sides by winds blowing from the ocean. As a result of this, seiches are often formed on the surface of the reservoir - huge waves, which often lead to significant destruction of the banks.

1st place: - the world's largest enclosed body of water (lake), with a surface area of ​​371 thousand km². The water in the lake is salty - from 0.05% to 11-13%. The maximum depth is 1025 m. The reservoir, the bed of which is formed by the oceanic crust, is located at the junction of Asia and Europe. There are five states on its shores - Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The lake, shaped like the Latin letter S, is approximately 1200 km long and its width ranges from 195 to 435 km. Such large rivers as the Volga, Ural, Sulak, Terek, Emba flow into it. In the east, the Caspian Sea adjoins the salt lake Kara Bogaz Gol. Its fauna numbers 1,809 species, of which 415 are vertebrates, while the flora is represented by 728 species. The Caspian Sea is home to more than 100 species of fish, and it is also home to marine mammals - Caspian seals.

Any lake is a wonderful place to relax, but some of these natural bodies of water are much more important - for example, they are natural “reservoirs” of the world’s fresh water supply or a “home” for rare species of fish, birds and animals.

The largest lakes in Russia

The largest lake in Russia, and at the same time in the whole world, is the Caspian Sea. This body of water is called “the sea” for only one reason – because of its truly enormous size: the area of ​​this gigantic lake is approximately 371 thousand square kilometers, and its maximum depth is 1025 meters. The Caspian Sea is located on the borders of several states at once: Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan and therefore is also considered the largest lake in Asia.

The second largest lake in Russia is Lake Baikal, which also ranks among the ten largest freshwater lakes in the world. It is estimated that Baikal contains almost 20% of the world's total fresh water supply. The list of the “best” characteristics of Baikal is very long: this grandiose body of water is considered the cleanest, the oldest (its “age” is estimated at 25 million years), and the deepest lake in the world - its depth is 1642 meters maximum, and its area - almost 32 thousand square kilometers. And, of course, Baikal can rightfully be called at the same time the most beautiful body of water on the planet.

Another lake in Russia with the prefix “most” is Ladoga: Lake Ladoga, the third largest in Russia, is also considered the largest lake in Europe. The lake, whose historical name is Nevo, gives rise to only one river - the Neva, stretching over 17.6 thousand square kilometers in total. The depth of Lake Ladoga is 230 meters maximum.

In the same place as Lake Ladoga, in the Leningrad region, there is the fourth largest lake in Russia - Onega. On the endless water surface of Lake Onega, over an area of ​​almost 10 thousand square kilometers, over one and a half thousand islands are scattered, and in its northern part there is Kizhi Island - a magnificent complex of 89 ancient wooden churches and other buildings, most of which date back to the 15th-17th century. centuries.

The fifth largest lake in Russia is Taimyr, the largest lake in the world north of the Arctic Circle. It is located on the peninsula of the same name, which is the northernmost point of Eurasia, and due to its location, it is completely covered with ice most of the time of the year - from September to July. Swimming in Lake Taimyr, of course, is impossible: the maximum water temperature here is only 8 degrees Celsius in August, and there is not a single populated area near the lake.

The largest lakes in Europe

Europe cannot boast of anything but large reserves of fresh water. The largest lake in the European Union is located in Sweden: the area of ​​Lake Vänern is 5,650 square kilometers and its maximum depth is 106 meters. For tourists, Vänern remains, however, one of the favorite mini-wonders of nature - because here you can not only admire the endless expanse of water, but also visit the national park, which is located on the Jure Archipelago in the central part of Vänern.

The second largest lake in Europe is located in another northern country - Finland. Saimaa is not even a lake, but an entire lake system with an area of ​​4.4 thousand square kilometers, strewn with thousands of tiny islands (the total number of islands on the territory of Saimaa is almost 14 thousand!). A wide blue “belt” connects Saimaa with Ladoga by the Vuoksa River, which begins in one lake and ends in the other.

On the border between Estonia and Russia there is another largest lake in Europe. In Estonian, its name sounds like Peipus or Peipsi, but, of course, we all know it as the legendary Lake Peipus, where Alexander Nevsky once defeated the Teutonic knights. In fact, Pskov-Chudskoye Lake is a complex of three lakes with a total area of ​​3,555 square kilometers. But the water body is notable not for its large area or depth, but for its rich history and many attractions in the surrounding area. On Estonian territory in the vicinity of Lake Peipsi there is the famous Kauksi beach with “singing” sand that makes different sounds when stepped on. On the territory of Russia, the choice is richer. In April, here you can witness real ancient battles - the anniversary of the Battle of the Ice is celebrated with a large-scale reconstruction of the battle, in the summer - relax in one of the many cottage villages and boarding houses, in the fall - take a walk through ancient Gdov, where the ancient Gdov Kremlin of the 14th century is located, or the Kobylye settlement with " crow stone,” from which Alexander Nevsky led the regiments that defeated the Teutons.

The largest lakes in Africa

It would seem that in Africa, with its arid and hot climate and numerous deserts, there simply cannot be large lakes, but in fact this is where the third largest lake in the world is located - Victoria. The area of ​​Lake Victoria is almost 70 thousand square meters. The largest lake in Africa received its name in honor of Queen Victoria from explorer John Speck, who discovered and explored the grandiose reservoir during an expedition in 1858 in search of the source of the Nile River. Despite its enormous size, Lake Victoria is not very popular among tourists: the water here is cloudy and mostly dirty due to sewage discharge, and a large number of crocodiles live in the reservoir.

The second largest lake in Africa is Tanganyika: in depth and area, one of the largest bodies of water in the world is second only to Baikal, and at the same time is considered the longest lake on the planet. The area of ​​Tanganyika is almost 33 square kilometers, and the maximum depth is 1470 meters. This lake contains about 18% of the world's total fresh water. Lake Tanganyika is shared by four African states - Tanzania, Zambia, Congo and Burundi. Swimming in the lake is a pleasure: the average water temperature here always remains at 25 degrees Celsius.

Malawi, or Nyasa, occupies third place in the list of the largest lakes in Africa - its depth is 706 meters maximum, and its area is almost 30 thousand square kilometers. About 7% of the world's fresh water reserves are concentrated here (Malawi is considered the ninth largest among the largest freshwater lakes in the world). Europeans discovered the “African Sea” relatively recently - in the second half of the 19th century, thanks to the expedition of the famous Scottish explorer David Livingstone.

America's largest lakes

The first place in the list of the largest lakes in America is occupied by Lake Superior (another name is Superior), located on the border of the USA and Canada. Lake Superior is considered the largest freshwater lake in the world and the second largest overall (in area it is second only to the salty Caspian Sea) - 10% of the world's total fresh water reserves are concentrated here. There is so much water in Lake Superior that it is enough to completely flood two continents at once - South and North America - by about 30 centimeters. The lake's area is 82,170 square kilometers and its maximum depth is 400 meters. Superior is considered one of the cleanest lakes in the world - the water is visible to an average depth of 8.5 meters, and in some places up to 30 meters. At the same time, Lake Superior is also the “youngest” lake, it is only 10 thousand years old (for comparison, the “age” of Lake Baikal is 25 million years).

The second largest lake in America and the fourth in the world is Huron, whose area is almost 60 thousand square kilometers and its maximum depth reaches 229 meters. Like other North American Great Lakes, it was formed during the melting of glaciers during the last Ice Age. The French, the first Europeans to discover the lake, called it La Mer Douce - “freshwater sea”. Huron is a popular tourist destination, with lake water temperatures reaching 23 degrees Celsius in the warmest months. The lake practically does not freeze - only once a decade is it completely covered with ice (the last time this happened was in 2003).

The third largest lake in North America (and at the same time the eighth largest lake in the world) is located in Canada and has an unusual name - Great Bear Lake. The grandiose reservoir is located in deserted places, hundreds of kilometers from civilization, on the border of the Arctic Circle on an area of ​​​​approximately 31 thousand square kilometers. With the cold, crystal clear waters of Great Bear Lake teeming with fish and its shores virtually deserted except for a couple of small communities, it's no wonder the lake is considered one of the world's best fishing destinations.

The largest lakes on planet Earth are:
o Lake Michigan – 58 thousand km2;
o Lake Huron – 59.6 thousand km2;
o Lake Victoria – 68 thousand km2;
o Lake Verkhnee – 82.4 thousand km2;
o sea-lake Caspian – 376 thousand km2.

The deepest lakes in the world are:
o Issyk-Kul – 668 meters;
o Nyasa – 706 meters;
o Caspian Sea – lake – 1025 meters;
o Tanganyika – 1470 meters;
o Baikal – 1620 meters.

The largest lake on planet Earth is the Caspian Sea, it is located in the interior regions of Eurasia and contains 78 thousand cubic kilometers of water - more than 40% of the total volume of water in lakes in the world; this lake is even larger in area than the Black Sea. The sea, this lake is called only because it has most of the marine properties - a large area, a large volume of water, strong storms and a special hydrochemical regime.
From south to north, Lake Caspian stretches for almost 1,200 kilometers, and from west to east it extends from 200 to 450 kilometers.

By origin, it is part of the ancient low-salt Lake Pontus, which existed 5 - 7 million years ago. During the Ice Age, animals such as salmon, seals, small crustaceans and whitefish entered the Caspian Sea from Arctic waters; Also in this lake there are some species of Mediterranean fish left over from the time of the connection of the Caspian Sea with the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

In the Caspian Sea, the water level is constantly changing, but, in general, it is lower than the general level of the World Ocean; The reasons for the change in water level are still unclear. The Caspian Sea is also changing its shape. At the beginning of the twentieth, the level of the Caspian Sea was about -26 meters in relation to the World Ocean, and in 1972 the lowest water level in the last three hundred years was recorded - 29 meters, then the water level in the sea began to rise at a slow pace, and at present moment it is approximately -27.9 meters. The Caspian Lake had about seven dozen different names: Derbent, Saraiskoe, Khazarskoe, Khvalynskoe, Girkanskoe and others. The modern name was invented for the sea in honor of the ancient tribes of horse breeders (Caspians), who lived in the first century BC in the northwestern coasts.

The deepest lake in the world is Lake Baikal - 1620 meters, it is located in the southern part of Eastern Siberia. The lake has a height of 456 meters from sea level, the length of the lake is 636 kilometers, the lake reaches its greatest width in the central part - 81 kilometers. There are a couple of versions regarding the origin of the name of the lake, for example, Bai-Kul from the Turkic language means “rich lake”, and if from the Mongolian Baigal Dalai it means “big lake”. Lake Baikal also includes 27 islands, with the largest of them being Olkhon Island. About 300 streams and rivers flow into this lake, and only the Angara River exits. Baikal is a fairly old lake, as it is approximately 20-25 million years old. 85% of animal species and 40% of plants that live in Baikal are endemic (that is, these species can only be seen here). The volume of Lake Baikal's water is 23 thousand km3, which is about 90% of Russia's fresh water reserves and 20% of the world's freshwater reserves. Baikal water is unique for its extraordinary transparency, frequency and oxygen saturation. The lake has 58 species of fish (sturgeon, taimen, grayling, whitefish, omul and others) and is home to the Baikal seal, a typical mammal.

The eastern part of North America is rich in the Great Lakes, for example, the St. Lawrence River basin contains lakes: Ontario, Erie, Michigan, Huron and Superior. These lakes are arranged in steps, the difference in height between the last four is no more than nine meters, and only the lower Lake Ontario is located almost a hundred meters lower than Lake Erie. The lakes are connected to each other by short, high-water and turbulent rivers. Niagara Falls (its height is about fifty meters) was formed on the Niagara River, which connects Lake Ontario with Lake Erie. The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater accumulation on Earth (22.7 thousand km3). The lakes were created at a time when the huge ice sheet of the northern part of the North American continent melted. Throughout their existence, these lakes have changed their shape many times. The northern shores of the lakes are quite steep and rocky, but very picturesque, while the southeastern and southern shores are sandy, clayey and mostly low. The shores of the Great Lakes are quite densely populated; there are very powerful industrial parts along with the largest cities of the United States: Buffalo, Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Chicano, as well as the second largest Canadian city of Toronto. To bypass the rapid sections of the rivers that connect the lakes, canals were built and created a continuous waterway for ships from the Great Lakes directly to the Atlantic Ocean. This path has a length of about three thousand kilometers, and its depth is more than eight meters, which makes it accessible to large sea vessels.

The longest lake in the world is Lake Tanganyika in Africa. This lake was formed in the tectonic basin of the East African faults. The greatest depth of the lake is 1470 meters, which is the second deepest in the world, after Lake Baikal. The length of the coastline of Tanganyika is 1900 kilometers, here is the border of 4 African states: Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi. This ancient lake is home to approximately 170 species of endemic fish. The lake is populated with living organisms down to a depth of two hundred meters, and even lower there are deposits of hydrogen sulfide. The shores of Tanganyika are rocky and quite rugged with numerous bays and bays.

There are about 5 million lakes in the world, but we have only heard about a few of the largest ones. Do you think that Baikal is the largest lake in the world? In fact, Baikal takes only 7th place in the ranking of the largest lakes!

Did you know that the area of ​​the largest lake on the planet is equal to the area of ​​52 million football fields and is comparable to the area of ​​Moscow multiplied by 150 times? No? Then read below!

No. 10. Great Slave Lake - 28,930 square kilometers. North America.

Great Slave Lake is the 10th largest lake in the world by area, and it is also the deepest lake in North America. Its depth is 614 meters. The dimensions of Great Slave Lake are 480 km long, 19-109 km wide, and the area is 28,930 square kilometers.

From October to June the lake is frozen; in winter the ice can support the weight of trucks. Rivers flowing into the lake: Hay, Slave, Snowdrift, etc. The Mackenzie River flows out of the lake. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 9. Lake Nyasa - 30,044 square kilometers. East Africa.

Lake Nyasa (Malawi) is the ninth largest lake in the world by area. Lake Nyasa fills a crack in the earth's crust in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, located between Mozambique and Tanzania. The length of the lake is 560 km, depth - 706 m. Nyasa contains 7% of the world's reserves of liquid fresh water.

Nyasa is known for its rich ecosystem, many of the species found in the lake are endemic. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

No. 8. Great Bear Lake - 31,080 square kilometers. Canada.

Great Bear Lake is located 200 km south of the Arctic Circle in Canada. The lake ranks eighth in area in the world and fourth in North America. Dimensions of the lake: length - 320 km, width - 175 km, maximum depth - 446 m.

The lake does not have a very good history. Uranium was found here. It was from here that uranium was mined to make the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The lake is almost always covered with ice; the ice rarely melts before the end of July. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 7. Lake Baikal - 31,500 square kilometers. Eastern Siberia.

Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, the largest water reservoir, which contains 20% of the world's liquid fresh water reserves. Baikal is also considered one of the cleanest lakes in the world.

The lake ranks seventh in area in the world and first in volume. Dimensions of the lake: length - 636 km, width - 80 km, maximum depth - 1642 m, volume - 23,600 km3.
The origin of the lake is tectonic, its age is more than 25 million years. The fauna of Lake Baikal is one of the most unique in the world; many species are endemic.

No. 6. Lake Tanganyika - 32,893 square kilometers. Central Africa.

Lake Tanganyika is one of the deepest lakes in the world, along with Lake Baikal. The lake lies between 4 countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi.

Dimensions of the lake: length - 676 ​​km, width - 72 km, maximum depth - 1470 m, volume - 18,900 km3. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

Tanganyika lies in Africa's deepest tectonic basin and is part of the Congo River basin, one of the largest rivers in the world.

No. 5. Lake Michigan - 58,016 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Michigan is one of the Great Lakes. This lake is the largest lake located entirely within the United States. Michigan is the fifth largest in the world and the third largest among the Great Lakes. The volume of the lake is 4918 m3, length - 494 km, width - 190 km, maximum depth - 281 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 4. Lake Huron - 59,596 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Huron is one of the Great Lakes. This lake is located on the territory of two countries: the USA and Canada. Huron is the fourth largest lake in the world. The volume of the lake is 3538 m3, length - 331 km, width - 295 km, maximum depth - 229 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 3. Lake Victoria - 69,485 square kilometers. East Africa.

Lake Victoria is located in Tanzania and Kenya. With the construction of the Owen Falls Dam in 1954, the lake was converted into a reservoir. There are many islands on the lake. Fishing is developed on the lake and there are many ports in three countries. A national park has been established on the island of Rubondo (Tanzania).

Victoria is the third largest lake in the world. The volume of the lake is 2760 m3, length - 320 km, width - 274 km, maximum depth - 80 m. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

The lake was discovered and named in honor of Queen Victoria by British traveler John Henning Speke in 1858.

No. 2. Lake Superior - 82,414 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Superior is the second largest in the world and the largest among the Great Lakes, located on the border of the United States and Canada. The volume of the lake is 12,000 m3, length - 563 km, width - 257 km, maximum depth - 406 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

Etymology of the name. In the Ojibwe language, the lake is called Gichigami, which means “big water.”

No. 1. Caspian Sea - 371,000 square kilometers. Europe Asia.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth, which is classified as the largest lake or sea due to its size. Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Volume - 78,200 m3, length - 1200 km, width - 435 km, maximum depth - 1025 m. The length of the coastline of the Caspian Sea is approximately 6500 kilometers.

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, the largest of them are the Volga, Terek, Sulak, Ural, Kura, Artek, etc. The Caspian Sea washes the shores of Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Russia, and Azerbaijan.
The origin of the lake is oceanic.

Whatever you think, this list of 50 stunningly beautiful lakes is sure to add to your knowledge and broaden your horizons right now! This list contains names and photographs of some of the world's most famous lakes, but they may still be unfamiliar to you.

Caspian Sea - Caspian Sea / Caspian Sea - the largest lake in the world
371,000 km2 (143,000 sq mi). The Caspian Sea is considered to be the largest lake in the world. It contains an ocean basin. This makes it an oceanic lake and distinguishes it from all the other lakes on this list, which are continental lakes. The Caspian Sea is the third deepest lake in the world. It has no outflow and borders

Lake Superior - Lake Superior / The largest lake in the world Lake Superior
82,414 km2 (31,820 sq mi). A border lake between Canada and the United States, Lake Superior is the largest lake of the five Great Lakes of North America.

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

Lake Huron
59,600 km2 (23,000 sq mi). The second largest lake of the Great Lakes. Huron contains the Manitoulin Islands, the world's largest lake islands.

Lake Michigan
58,000 km2 (22,000 sq mi). Also one of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan is slightly smaller than Lake Huron. It is the world's largest lake located entirely within one country - the United States. Chicago and Milwaukee are located on the shores of Lake Michigan

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.

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

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 Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia. 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, later merges with the Hemu River, forming the Burkin River, which itself is a tributary of the Irtysh River. The Kanas Valley is home to a population of ethnic Tuvans and Kazakhs.

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 Aral Sea catchment area covers Uzbekistan, 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 to be the home of the 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 Wetlands 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 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 Terebli River. The lake has its own beautiful legend about lovers.

The list of the 50 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),
• Lake Annecy (France),
• Garda / Iseo (Italy),
• Lake Wastwater (England),
• Sogne (Norway),
• Killarney (Ireland),
• Hallstattersee (Austria),
• Königsee / Obersi (Germany),
• Jökulsádlón (Iceland),
• Laguna Verde (Bolivia),
• Lençóis Maranhenses (Brazil),
• Lake Nakuru (Kenya),
• Tekapo (New Zealand),
• Lagunas Altiplánicas (Chile),
• Laguna Bacalar (Mexico) and many others.