How big is Lake Baikal?

Lake Baikal is the largest and deepest freshwater lake in the world. "Lake Baikal" is a transliteration of the English word "baykal", which is called "baukaji" in Russian. Derived from Mongolian, it comes from "saii" and "kyji", which means "rich lake", so it is named because the lake is rich in many kinds of fish. According to the Buryatian legend, Lake Baikal is called "Baikal Dalai", which means "the sea of nature". In terms of area, Lake Baikal is only the eighth in the world, not as good as Lake Victoria in Africa and the Great Lakes in America. But when it comes to the depth and cleanliness of the lake, Lake Baikal is unparalleled.

Lake Baikal is long and narrow, like a crescent moon, so it is also called "Moon Lake". It is 636 kilometers long, with an average width of 48 kilometers and a maximum width of 79.4 kilometers. It covers an area of 310.5 million square kilometers, with an average depth of 744 kilometers, the deepest point10.642 kilometers, and the lake is 456 meters above sea level. Lake Baikal is crystal clear, stable and transparent (transparency reaches 40.8m), ranking second in the world. Its total storage capacity is 23,600 cubic kilometers, which is equivalent to the total storage capacity of the Great Lakes in North America, and occupies about 1/5 of the total unfrozen fresh water resources. Suppose Lake Baikal is the only water source in the world, with enough water for 5 billion people to use for half a century. The secret of the huge size of Lake Baikal lies in its depth. The average water depth of the lake is 730m, with the deepest point1620m. If the four tallest buildings in the world are stacked one by one in the deepest part of the lake, the TV mast on the fourth roof is still 58 meters below the lake. If the tall Mount Tai is placed in the deepest part of the lake, the top of the mountain is still 100 meters from the water surface.

The lake is 456 meters above sea level. Around Lake Baikal, there are 336 rivers, the largest of which is the Selenger River, and only the Angara River flows out of the lake, with an average annual flow of only 1.870 cubic meters per second. The place where the lake flows into the Angara River is about 1000 meters wide, and the white waves are sky-high.

The lake is oval, like a crescent moon embedded in the southern edge of Siberia. The scenery is beautiful and unforgettable. Chekhov, a great Russian writer, once wrote: "The lake is clear and transparent, just like air passing through the water, everything is lifelike, and the gentle and green water color is pleasing to the eye ..."

Among many natural landscapes in Russia, Lake Baikal is listed in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List for the first time.

The unique natural landscape and picturesque scenery of Lake Baikal provide unique possibilities for eco-tourism to develop into extreme tourism. There are 130 tourist bases and rest bases along the coast of Lake Baikal, with passenger traffic of 12000 people.

The largest island in Lake Baikal is Olyhonda Island (7 1.7 km long, 0/5 km wide and 730 km2).

A large number of warm water bays and exotic Olkhon Island in Lake Baikal attract a large number of tourists to visit here. Coupled with the relatively suitable climate, beautiful scenery, a large number of natural and archaeological sites, different kinds of biota, fresh air, original ecological environment and unique leisure resources, Lake Baikal has super high tourism and leisure potential. Olkhon Island is the largest center of ancient culture in the 6th 6- 10/0th century, and is considered as the religious center of Shamanism. The national traditions, customs and unique national characteristics here have been completely preserved.

Lake Baikal is a bright pearl placed by nature in Irkutsk region in southeastern Russia. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in Eurasia. It is 640 kilometers long and 50 kilometers wide on average. It is the seventh largest lake in the world and the deepest lake in the world. It contains one-fifth of all the fresh water of the earth (it should refer to the fresh water of rivers and lakes). It is equivalent to the total water volume of the Great Lakes in North America. The lake is a treasure house with beautiful scenery, peculiar landscape and rich species. Lake Baikal is shaped like a crescent moon, so it is also called "Moon Lake". Its average width is about 48 kilometers, its length from north to south is about 636 kilometers, its circumference is 2000 kilometers, and its total area is about 3 15000 square kilometers. In terms of area, Lake Baikal is only the ninth in the world, but it is one of the oldest lakes in the world (it has stood the test of 25 million years).

It is said that the fresh water in Lake Baikal is enough for human consumption 100 years.

Lake Baikal is said to have arisen because the Asian crust slowly pulled apart along a fault and a trench appeared. At first, the ditch was eight kilometers deep, but with the passage of time, it was gradually filled with silt, and the microbial fossils in the silt can show its formation age. There are hot springs at the bottom of the lake, and small earthquakes often occur. There are 336 rivers flowing into Lake Baikal, but only one river-angara River flows out of the lake. In winter, the icing depth of the lake is 1 m, which lasts for 4-5 months. However, the temperature in the depth of the lake remains unchanged, about 3.5 degrees Celsius.

The width of the outlet of Lake Baikal is about 1 000m. The boulder standing in the center of the lake outlet is called "Schemansky". When the river overflows, this magical boulder will look like it is rolling. The streams around the lake are scattered and surrounded by mountains. There are few impurities in the lake, which is extremely clear. It is said that the lake is clear because there are frequent earthquakes at the bottom of Lake Baikal, and the chemicals produced by the earthquakes precipitate at the bottom of the lake, making the lake clear, so Lake Baikal is always crystal clear. The transparency of the lake is as deep as 40.5 meters, so it is known as "the bright eye of Siberia". With abundant sunshine and more than 300 hot springs, Lake Baikal has become the largest health resort in eastern Russia.

There are 600 species of plants and 1200 species of aquatic animals in the lake, three quarters of which are endemic to Lake Baikal, thus forming its unique biological population, such as various mollusks, sponges and seals. There are about 50 species of fish in Lake Baikal, belonging to 7 families, with 25 species of Dolphinidae being the most. There are also many salmon, fried fish, herring white fish and sturgeon. The most noteworthy is a special kind of lake fish in Lake Baikal, called viviparous shellfish. It belongs to the viviparous shellfish family and gives birth to larvae directly from the mother fish.

There are 255 species of shrimp in the lake, including some that are almost white. In addition, there is a jungle-like sea brocade at the bottom of Lake Baikal, with a height of L ~ 15 meters, which is not found in other lakes. Strange lobsters are hidden in this "jungle". There are more than 200 species of platypoda and more than 80 species of flatworms in Lake Baikal. Not only are there a large number, but some kinds are also very strange and attractive. For example, some recently discovered amphipods are mottled and mixed with the color of the environment; At the same time, someone caught a giant flatworm 38 cm long in the lake. A large number of amphipods such as hooked shrimp make Lake Baikal have the function of "self-purification". These animals can decompose algae and animal carcasses, which is another main reason to keep the lake clear.

The only freshwater seal in the world lives in Lake Baikal. In winter, seals bite holes in the ice to breathe. Because seals usually live in seawater, it was once thought that Lake Baikal was connected to the Atlantic Ocean through an underground tunnel. In fact, seals may have come to Lake Baikal against the river during the last ice age.

On both sides of Lake Baikal are mountains covered with coniferous forests. There are more than 600 kinds of grassland vegetation in mountainous areas, including poplar, fir and deciduous trees, Siberian pine and birch, of which 3/4 are endemic to Lake Baikal. The west bank of Lake Baikal is a continuous mountain, covered with coniferous forests and with many cliffs. Most of the east coast is plain. Due to the climate difference between the two sides of the strait, the natural landscape is very different.

Looking at the lake view in the forest near Lake Baikal, you will see many ribbons and strips fluttering on the branches of the forest, which are tied by tourists to express their desire to come here again in the future. Indeed, this dark blue lake is a very attractive tourist attraction. Tourists from all directions regard Lake Baikal as a "holy sea".

There are about 40 towns near Lake Baikal. In the past, residents here could drink clear and pure lake water, but today, the lake water has been polluted by industry. Even so, the lake looks clear. In May, the ice and snow melted, and objects 40 meters underwater could be seen clearly: it is rare for other lakes to see through 20 meters of water.

The land around Lake Baikal freezes earlier than the lake. Since October, the cliffs are covered with silver, and forests such as larch, spruce and Siberian fir are also covered with snow and ice. From a distance, you can only see a silver world that glows slightly. Before 1 month, most lakes were frozen, and the ice thickness in some places reached 1.5 meters. Local people drive cars and trucks to dig holes in the ice and fish. The frozen ice layer in calm is as transparent as glass, and fish can be seen swimming under the ice. But most of them are undulating chunks of ice floes. Ice cubes often burst and make a sound like a gun.

In August, the lake gets warmer and the ice melts, so people can swim comfortably in the lake. The weather on the lake is unpredictable, and dangers lurk all year round. Dense fog in summer may force the ship to stop suddenly. Even on a calm day, there may be big winds and waves rolling in at any time. According to local legends, Lake Baikal is the kingdom of the goddess.