Lake Baikal ‼️
is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume. The volume of water in this lake reaches 2,361,539 km3 (566,560 cu mi), or about 23% of the total volume of fresh water on the Earth's surface, far more than the combined volume of the Great Lakes in North America. Lake Baikal has a maximum depth of 1,642 m (5,387 ft),[1] and is the deepest lake, as well as the oldest lake on Earth, having been formed around 25–30 million years ago.
Lake Baikal is the seventh largest lake in the world based on surface area, with an area of extends to 31,722 km2 (12,248 sqmi), slightly larger than the area of Belgium. This lake is also one of the lakes with the clearest water in the world.
Lake Baikal is a habitat for thousands of plant and animal species, many of which are endemic to the region. This lake is also a residential area for the Buryat tribe, who raise goats, camels, cows, sheep and horses on the east side of the lake. In this area the average temperature varies, with the lowest temperature in winter reaching −19 °C (−2 °F) and a high of 14 °C (57 °F) during summer.
The region east of Lake Baikal is referred to as Transbaikalia or Transbaikal, and the region around the lake itself is sometimes known as Baikalia. UNESCO declared Lake Baikal a World Heritage Site in 1996.
