The lakes, with their crystal clear waters, rich ecosystems and serene landscapes, are some of the most magnificent natural wonders the world has to offer. In addition to their positive views, lakes can grow to staggeringly large sizes.
Here is a list of the 10 largest lakes in the world that you can add to your checklist of places to visit in the future.
10. Great Slave Lake, Canada - 28,930 km²
The second largest lake in Canada is also the deepest lake in all of North America. To reach the bottom you have to swim 614 meters down.
The Great Slave Lake was once part of the huge glacial Lake McConnell. And now it is known for its floating houses, which are completely self-sufficient. There was even a documentary about them ("Ice Lake") that aired on Animal Planet.
Despite its name, this lake did not serve as the last refuge for hundreds of slaves, and was not a place where boats filled with slaves sailed back and forth every day.
The name Great Slave Lake was given in honor of one of the names (slave) of the Dene Indian people. And the translators believed that it comes from the English word slave ("slave").
9. Nyasa, Africa - 30,044 km²
It is the southernmost lake of the Rift Valley in Tanzania (East Africa). Contains 7% of the world's fresh water.
Lake Nyasa (or Malawi, but the name of the republic where it is located) is home to more fish species than any other lake on the planet. There are at least 700 species of cichlids alone in it.
And if you get tired of admiring the local fish and snails, you can always relax on one of the beautiful beaches and get a good tan under the bright African sun.
8. Big Bear Lake, Canada - 31,080 km²
It is the largest lake in Canada. And it is located in an interesting way - right in the Arctic Circle, where the taiga and tundra regions border.
It was here that the first uranium deposits were discovered. The lake is covered with ice for 9 months a year, so the navigation period is very short.
But fishing and hunting are great here. It's not easy to get here, but if you do, you won't regret it, because the places near the Big Bear Lake are beautiful. And the settlements surrounding the lake are home to the indigenous Dene Indian peoples and the tipi "bear people". So if you have long dreamed of seeing real Indians (albeit quite modern, not waving tomahawks), then you know where to go.
7. Baikal, Russia - 31,500 km²
Before you is the deepest lake in the world, and this is far from the only one interesting fact about Baikal... Its greatest depth is 1642 meters. Contains the largest reserves of fresh water. It is also the cleanest lake on the planet.
Lake Baikal is located at an altitude of 455 meters above sea level and is home to 1000 species of plants and 2500 species of animals. One of the unique animals that have chosen Baikal is the freshwater seal or the Baikal seal.Until now, scientists do not know exactly how this animal ended up in the waters of the lake - either it sailed from the Arctic Ocean along the river system, or from the Lena River, into which there could be a runoff from Baikal.
But having settled down in a new place, the pinniped traveler still feels great, having risen to the top of the food chain in the Baikal ecosystem. The only danger for the Baikal seal is humans.
6. Tanganyika, Africa - 32,893 km²
This great African lake is the second oldest freshwater lake in the world and, in addition, the longest freshwater lake in the world.
More than 85 percent of the lake is located in Tanzania and DR Congo, and the rest is in Burundi and Zambia.
Tanganyika is home to many crocodiles and hippos, as well as the ringed water cobra, one of the most beautiful and calm species of cobra in the world. For novice terrarium hobbyists, these cobras are even recommended as their first pet due to their peaceful nature.
5. Michigan, USA - 58,000 km²
It is part of the Great Lakes system along with the Upper and Huron. These three lakes are connected into a single system by straits, but they are considered to be separate lakes.
The vast coastline of Lake Michigan is sometimes called the "third shore" of the United States because of its long, beautiful beaches.
4. Huron, USA - 59,600 km²
It boasts the longest coastline of any of the Great Lakes and was the first lake explored by Europeans in the 1600s.
French explorers Samuel de Champlain and Etienne Brule discovered the Gulf of Huron in 1615, initially considering it a separate lake, as it seemed to be separated from the rest of Lake Huron by the island of Manitoulin. However, given that this island is considered the largest in the world, the researchers can be understood.
3. Lake Victoria, Africa - 69,485 km²
The third largest lake in the world, located in East Africa on the territory of 3 states. The third in terms of fresh water reserves after the Upper and Baikal. Named after Queen Victoria by British explorer and discoverer John Speke.
This lake is also the main reservoir and source of the magnificent Nile River.
Victoria has 85 different islands, all of which are within Uganda, with the exception of one located in Kenya. All of these islands are famous for their endemic fauna that inhabit a richly hydrated ecosystem. Simply put, the animals that live there are not found anywhere else. Unsurprisingly, this attracts crowds of tourists to the islands.
2. Lake Superior, Canada and the USA - 82 414 km²
Located on the border of Canada and the United States, this lake is the largest freshwater lake in the world in terms of area. It contains more water than all the other Great Lakes combined.
The original name was translated as "Big Water", then as "the highest lake", but later it was renamed with the proviso that it is the largest on the continent.
1. Caspian Sea - 371,000 km²
Despite the geographical name "sea", the Caspian is the largest lake in the world. It is called the sea because of the tectonic features of the oceanic type, but in essence it is a large closed lake, the water level of which is subject to constant fluctuations. Although several rivers connect to the Caspian Sea, it still remains completely separate from the ocean.
The Caspian is located on the border of Europe and Asia, has a different level of salinity, from 0.05% at the mouth of the Volga, to 13% in the south.
The outsider, which dropped out of the ten largest lakes, is the Aral Sea, which is a large salt lake with no discharge into the ocean. The shallowing process led to the fact that the area of its water surface decreased to 8303 km².