What is the largest lake in the world?
What is the largest lake in the world? The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world. Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake and Baikal is the world’s deepest lake . Let’s see this in more detail.
Caspian Sea, the largest lake in the world
The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world, both salt and freshwater.
The Caspian Sea is a landlocked sea or lake that stretches 1,200 km from north to south, although its average width is only 320 km. It is independent of the Mediterranean Sea, which stretches between Europe and Asia. Its surface is 371,000 km², its average depth is 170 m and the maximum is 995 m.
It occupies the western part of the Aralo-Caspian depression, the surface of its waters being 28 meters below sea level. Because it has no outlet, it is considered the largest saltwater lake in the world.
The Caspian Sea is home to the beluga sturgeon, a fish valued for its roe, with which the sought-after caviar is prepared.
But in recent years, overfishing has threatened the sturgeon, to the point that various environmental groups are calling for a ban on sturgeon fishing until the population recovers. The caviar industry further jeopardizes fish numbers as it focuses on capturing fertile females.
The Caspian fur seal ( Pusa caspica ) is endemic to the Caspian, and is one of the few seal species that live in inland waters.
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world
Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes in North America. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, although Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world
Lake Superior covers an area of 82,000km². So technically it’s bigger than the Czech Republic. It measures 563 kilometers long and a maximum width of 257 kilometers.
The depth of Lake Superior is 149 meters on average and in its lowest part it reaches 406 meters.
Lake Superior contains 12,232 cubic kilometers of water.
It borders Ontario in Canada and Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan in the United States. It is an important route for the transport of metals. The lake is fed by more than 210 rivers, the largest of which include the Nipigon River and the San Luis River.
What do you think of these largest lakes in the world?
Something else on our curious planet
- Speaking of land, lakes and seas, did you know that the lowest point on earth is the Dead Sea?
- Our planet Earth is full of incredible and mysterious places. Find out more in the 29 curiosities of the Earth .
- Recently the authorities asked the population for something unusual. Read this article Please do not release the goldfish into the lake!
- And if it’s about big places, find out which is the largest desert in the world in this article: Antarctica, the largest desert in the world
