The largest tropical lake. List, names, descriptions, maps and photos of the largest lakes in Russia

A lake is a depression in the land where groundwater and surface water flow. They accumulate in it and remain. Lakes are not part of the world's oceans. It seems that they are not common, but in fact their number reaches 5 million on the entire planet. And, of course, curious people will be interested in what is the largest lake among them?

It is not difficult to get an answer to this question if you dive a little into geography and conduct a comparative analysis. But in order not to do this, you just need to read the list below.

Largest lakes in the world

The top ten includes:

A little more about the lakes

Among the above-mentioned lakes, two of them deserve special attention: Verkhnee and Victoria. Both of them are freshwater, but this is not the main thing. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa. Lake Superior is located on another continent, but nevertheless leads in area. In addition, it is the largest lake in America.

But there is one more lake that is not included in the top ten large lakes in size - Lake Ladoga. Its length is 219 kilometers and its area is 17,000 km2. The depth of the lake is 230 meters and it is located in Karelia. Its waters are fresh. Lake Ladoga is the largest lake in Europe. And this makes him even more famous.

1 place

Superior, North America

The youngest and largest freshwater lake in the world. The water surface area is more than 82 thousand km². In addition, it is also the largest body of water in the Great Lakes system. The amount of water in it alone is equal to the water volume of the entire system - 11.5 km³. This is ten percent of the entire freshwater supply of our planet.

The volume of water in this lake is so large that it can cover both American continents by thirty centimeters. Lake waters are replenished by 300 rivers and streams. The maximum depth of the reservoir is 400 meters.

In addition to its size, the lake is famous for its cleanliness. The water is always clear eight meters deep. The reservoir is so large that in its opposite parts the sun rises and sets with a difference of thirty minutes.

2nd place

Victoria, Africa

The largest African body of water and one of the largest lakes on the planet. It was formed several hundred million years ago and stretched across three modern states. Its area is more than 60 thousand km². A rare variety of fish is found here, which is as old as the lake. There are also crocodiles in Victorian waters.

3rd place

Huron and Michigan, North America

Despite the fact that these are two different lakes, they form a single water system. Connected by a strait. The area of ​​each reservoir exceeds 55 thousand km². There are islands in the lake basin where people live. Boats and ships ply along the water surface.

4th place

Tanganyika, Africa

This lake is inferior in area and volume of water to previous reservoirs, but is superior in length. It is considered the longest in the world. Tanganyika runs through four countries. The water surface area is 33 thousand km². The greatest depth reaches 1400 meters.

5th place

Baikal, Russian Federation

It is considered the largest in terms of water volume. Its area is smaller than that of Verkhniy, but it has greater depth. Baikal is considered one of the oldest lakes on the planet, located in the deepest cleft of the Earth. The average depth of Lake Baikal is approximately seven hundred meters. In the place where the fault in the earth's crust is the largest, the depth of the reservoir exceeds one and a half thousand meters. The water surface area reaches 30 thousand km².

It is believed that the lake arose due to shifts of tectonic plates. This happened about thirty million years ago. Baikal is famous for its good drinking properties. Its waters are home to a species of tiny crustaceans that clean algae and bacteria. Rocky formations also affect the watershed.

6th place

Bear, Canada

Located near the Arctic Circle, it has a beautiful landscape and clean water. There are two settlements located near the shores of the lake. The reservoir is one of the five main lakes in North America.

7th place

Nyasa, Africa

Another large African lake located in a relief depression. The water surface area reaches 30 thousand km². Aquarium fish are bred in this lake.

8th place

Ladozhskoe, Russian Federation

It is the largest freshwater lake in Europe. Its area is slightly more than 18 thousand km². It is also quite ancient, as it arose about nine million years ago. The bowl and topography of the reservoir was formed by the glacier that passed here.

9th place

Vostok, Antarctica

The main lake of Antarctica is located under a 4000 meter layer of ice. Its approximate area is 15 thousand km². There are versions that ancient living organisms live in it, surviving to this day.

10th place

Titicaca, South America

The top ten largest lakes is closed by the largest lake in South America. Its area is 8.5 thousand km². It is also considered the highest lake, as it is located in the mountains.

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Top 10 largest lakes in the world, according to: website
A lake is a closed depression of land into which surface and groundwater flows and accumulates.
Lakes are not part of the World Ocean.

I can hardly imagine deepening land with an area of ​​50 thousand square kilometers

1 Caspian Sea, area: 376 thousand sq. km, geographical location: Asia, altitude above sea level: -28 m, depth: 1025 m. This is the largest lake in the world, although due to the salinity of the water it is called a sea.

2 Upper, area: 82 thousand sq. km, geographical location: North America, altitude: 183 m, depth: 393 m. Interesting fact, the name of the lake in English sounds like Super. The largest freshwater lake.


3 Victoria, area: 68 thousand sq. km, geographical location: Africa, altitude: 1134 m, depth: 80 m. The largest lake in Africa


4 Huron, area: 60 thousand sq. km, geographical location: North America, altitude: 177 m, depth: 208 m.


5 Michigan, area: 58 thousand sq. km, geographical location: North America (USA), altitude: 177 m, depth: 281 m.


6 Aral Sea, area: 35 thousand sq. km, geographical location: Asia, height above sea level: 3.5 m, depth: 54.5 m. The Aral Sea has been rapidly shallowing since the 80s of the last century. Today, the sea is divided into 2 Southern Aral and Northern Aral, with the Southern Aral almost completely disappearing, and they are trying to preserve the northern one in every possible way, including raising fish on an industrial scale.


7 Tanganyika, area: 34 thousand sq. km, geographical location: Africa, altitude: 773 m, depth: 1470 m.


8 Baikal, area: 32 thousand sq. km, geographical location: Asia, altitude: 456 m, depth: 1620 m. The deepest lake in the world.

There are about 5 million lakes on our planet, both natural and artificially created. They are found on almost all continents, but more often large lakes by area are found in the vastness of Russia.

The largest lakes in Russia

Russian lakes are its natural resources. Among the many lakes, ten of the largest can be distinguished.

The largest Russian lake is named after the sea. This is the Caspian Sea. Its area is almost one hundred seventy-one thousand square meters. km. This is a salty body of water. It washes the shores of five countries at once and is actually the border of Asia and Europe.

Lake Baikal ranks second in area, but first in depth. In addition, among freshwater ones it is the largest in Eurasia. Surprisingly, its waters account for ninety percent of all fresh water in Russia. It has long been considered the purest and at the same time the most transparent; its waters were once recognized as medicinal. The area of ​​Baikal is slightly less than thirty-two thousand square meters. km.

Lake Ladoga is recognized as the next largest Russian lake. In size it does not exceed eighteen thousand square meters. km. It is interesting to know that thirty-five rivers flow into it, and such a famous river as the Neva originates from it.


Lake Onega ranks 4th in area among Russian lakes. Its size is slightly less than ten thousand square kilometers. Its shores are full of historical monuments. Local residents call their pond “Onego-father”.

There is a lake in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Its name is Taimyr. It is located on the peninsula of the same name and is considered the northernmost lake on the planet. The water level in it constantly fluctuates, because of this, its surface area constantly changes. It can be determined approximately - it is four and a half thousand square meters. km.

Far Eastern Lake Khanka is located almost on the border with China. The surface area is almost four thousand square meters. km. Khanka has always been interesting for tourists, as it will allow them to study the customs and culture of both countries at once.

The 7th largest lake in terms of area is Lake Chany. It contains salty waters. It is located in the Novosibirsk region. However, there is no exact data on its area. It is known that it varies from one and a half to two thousand square meters. km.


In the Volgograd region lies White Lake, which is called a “paradise” for fishermen. Area – almost one thousand three hundred square meters. km.

Karelian Lake is in 9th position. It has an unusual name - Topozero. This is a favorite place for kayakers, and there are also many fishermen there. The area of ​​the reservoir is slightly less than a thousand square meters. km.

Rounding out the top ten large lakes in Russia is Ilmen. It is located in the Novgorod region. The area is only four meters less than the area of ​​the lake, which is in 9th position in the ranking.


You can also read more about the largest Russian lakes on the website.

The largest lakes in the USA

There are a considerable number of huge lakes in America. This is due to the geographical location, which contributes to the emergence of reservoirs. It should be noted that the largest mass of fresh water on the planet is concentrated on the border of Canada and America. The Great American Lakes are located in that area. In fact, these are five large bodies of water. Their total area is two hundred forty-six thousand square meters. km.


The largest is Verkhneye. Its area is almost eighty-three thousand square meters. km. Huron is next, followed by Michigan and Erie. The smallest of these five lakes is Ontario. Moreover, its area is nineteen and a half thousand square meters. km, which is not small at all. In the western United States lies the Great Salt Lake, the salinity and area of ​​which directly depend on precipitation. The maximum area that this lake has is six thousand square kilometers.

On the Florida Peninsula there is another American lake of considerable size - Lake Okeechobee. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through canals. The area of ​​this reservoir is two thousand six hundred square meters. km.

Largest freshwater lake

Located on the North American continent, Lake Superior, once formed by melting glaciers, is recognized as the largest among all freshwater bodies of water. Its area is constantly changing. Because of this, new lakes appear nearby.


In some places its shores are cliffs and rocks. To facilitate navigation and energy, the water level in the reservoir is maintained artificially. The highest level occurs in the summer months, while in winter the water level drops.

Longest lake

It is interesting to know that in addition to large lakes, there are also very long lakes. Lake Taganyika, located in Central Africa, is recognized as the leader among them.

This lake stands out among other lakes due to its ancient origin and depth. It should be noted that it is second only to Lake Baikal in volume and depth.


The length of the reservoir is six hundred and fifty km, while the width varies from forty to eighty km. Such a giant has a rather large surface area - thirty-four thousand square meters. km.

Basically, its coastal landscapes are rocky, but there are gentle banks only on the eastern side. The natural composition of the lake is very unusual. It is known to be many millions of years old and has not changed since then.

The largest lake in the world by area

Despite the fact that the Caspian Sea is called a sea, it is still a lake. Its shape resembles the Latin letter "S". Its surface area is three hundred seventy-one thousand square meters. km. Its maximum width reaches four hundred thirty-five kilometers, its maximum depth is one thousand twenty-five meters.


The fauna of the Caspian Sea is also rich - these include Caspian seals, about a hundred species of fish, more than four hundred species of vertebrates and a diverse flora.
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Lakes occupy about 1.8% of the globe, mostly small, quiet bodies of water with gently sloping sandy shores. But there are real giant lakes, several hundred kilometers long, with an area larger than some seas, on the surface of which real storms with multi-meter waves rage. Meet the ten largest lakes in the world.

10. Great Slave Lake

Great Slave Lake has an area of ​​28,930 km², and is the remains of a body of water formed after the melting of glaciers formed during the Ice Age. This is the deepest lake in North America, located in Canada, with a depth of 614 meters, which is bordered on one side by the tundra and on the other by the Canadian boundary shield. The name of the lake was given in honor of the Indian tribe that lived on the shore, whose name was very similar to the English word “slave”, which translates as “slave”.

9. Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi, also known as Nyasa, with an area of ​​30,044 km 2, contains 7% of the world's fresh water reserves. The reservoir is a depression on the border of Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi, 706 meters deep, into which 14 rivers flow. Storms often rage along the steep shores of the lake, during which shipping almost completely stops.

8. Great Bear Lake

Canada's largest lake, Great Bear Lake has an area of ​​31,153 km². The reservoir is located beyond the Arctic Circle at an altitude of 186 meters above sea level and has a depth of 413 meters. It was from uranium mined on the shores of Great Bear Lake that the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were made.

7. Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal, with an area of ​​31,722 km², is the largest freshwater reservoir in the world, storing 19% of the world's freshwater reserves. The reservoir, 1,637 meters deep, was formed at the site of a tectonic fault, and is surrounded on all sides by hills and mountains. By the way, this is the deepest lake in the world, where more than 300 rivers flow into and only one river, the Angara, flows out. Most importantly, Baikal and its shores are home to a large number of animals and plants that are not found anywhere else in the world.

6. Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika, with an area of ​​32,893 km 2, located on the border of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi, was formed at the site of a tectonic fault on the border of the African and Arabian tectonic plates. It is the second deepest (its depth is 1,470 meters) enclosed body of water in the world and the second largest fresh water lake in the world. It also bears the title of the longest lake in the world, stretching 673 kilometers from north to south. The shores of Tanganyika are high cliffs and only on the eastern side there are flat areas. Due to the fact that the lake was formed many millions of years ago with a closed ecosystem, there are many unique species of fish that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

5. Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan, with an area of ​​58,000 km2, is the only one of the five Great Lakes that is entirely located in the United States. It is located at an altitude of 177 meters above sea level, its depth is 281 meters. Michigan is located high in northern latitudes and its waters are frozen for about four months of the year.

4. Lake Huron

Lake Huron, on the border of the USA and Canada, with an area of ​​59,600 km 2, has a depth of 229 meters and is located at an altitude of 176 meters above sea level. The most interesting thing is that Huron has a simply huge number of islands, more than 30 thousand, among which Manitoulin Island stands apart, the largest freshwater island in the world, which in turn contains the largest inland lake in the world - Manitou, with an area of ​​106 km 2.

3. Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria, with an area of ​​69,485 km2, is the largest African and tropical lake in the world. The reservoir was formed in a depression on the East African platform on the border of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda at an altitude of 1134 meters above sea level. The lake with a large number of bays, bays and islands is surrounded by low swampy shores, only in the southwestern part does the water rest against sharply rising rocks. Victoria has a depth of 84 meters, the main source of water replenishment of which is tropical rains. By the way, the longest river in the world, the Nile, originates from here.

2. Lake Superior

The second largest lake in the world and the largest in North America, Lake Superior, has an area of ​​82,414 km 2. The reservoir was formed in the basin as a result of the movement of tectonic plates and soil erosion, which was filled with water from melted glaciers. Strong winds constantly blow over the lake, 406 meters deep, not protected by mountains, which is why strong seiches (standing waves) often form on its surface, severely destroying the shores.

1. Caspian Sea

The largest lake in the world is the Caspian Sea, yes, it is a lake, despite the fact that it is most often called a sea, has an area of ​​371,000 km 2. The banks of this reservoir are flat and swampy, only in the northern part they are strongly indented, in the area of ​​​​the delta of the Volga and Ural rivers. The Caspian Sea, which is located on the border of Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, has a depth of 1025 meters. The most interesting thing is that this lake appeared as a result of tectonic shifts, which led to the appearance of a closed body of water separated from the world ocean.