Lake Baikal Holds A Fifth Of Freshwater

Lake Baikal holds 22% freshwater.

Lake Baikal is a rift lake in southern Siberia, Russia.

The lake covers 31,722 square kilometers, larger than Belgium.

Lake Baikal reaches a maximum depth of 1,642 meters.

The lake is about 25 to 30 million years old.

Lake Baikal contains 23,615 cubic kilometers of fresh water.

The lake’s unique fauna includes the Baikal seal, endemic here.

More than 1,000 plant species and 2,500 animal species live here.

Lake Baikal’s water is one of the clearest in the world.

In winter, ice cover lasts for about five months on the lake.

Lake Baikal is 636 kilometers long and 79 kilometers wide.

Lake Baikal is surrounded by mountains and a taiga forest.

Water temperature varies with depth and season, from freezing upward.

The lake drains into the Angara River, a Yenisey tributary.

Lake Baikal holds 22 percent of the world's freshwater.