We are all very small against the background of the majestic nature of our planet, we can only protect it, admire, cherish. In our country, there are many natural reserves, stately mountain ranges, reservoirs, volcanoes, forests, geysers, springs, you can list endlessly. But there are special places, those about which the whole world knows, we must preserve such exceptional natural monuments as the apple of our eye.
The whole world knows that Russia has the deepest lake in the world. Of course, we are talking about Lake Baikal, the largest source of fresh water in the world. It is impossible to say how old Lake Baikal is, experts say that it is about 25-35 million years old. The fact is that usually lakes can live for about 10-15 years, after which they turn into swamps, but Baikal is an exception.
In 1996, Lake Baikal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake is located in the center of Asia, its length reaches 636 km, the maximum width is 81 km, and the length of the coastline is about 2000 km.
The area of the lake is 31.5 thousand square kilometers, but the depth is truly mesmerizing - it is 1637 m. There is no freshwater reservoir in the world that would exceed Baikal in volume, this figure is 23 thousand cubic kilometers. It's no secret that Lake Baikal has 20% of the world's fresh water reserves, if we talk about Russia, this is as much as 80%.
Where did this name come from? There are several versions of the origin of the word Baikal, it is clear that this word is Türkic, most likely it comes from "bai", which means "rich", and "kul", which means "lake", it turns out "Rich lake". In 110 BC, the Chinese named the lake as "Beihai", the Mongols gave it their name, the Buryats their own, the ancient peoples of Siberia called it "Lamu", which means "sea".
When the first Russian detachment came to the shore of Lake Baikal, and that was in 1643, the Russians began to call him in the Buryat-Mongolian way, they gave him the name "Baigaal". Since for a Russian person this is not such a simple word, they adapted it and got the word Baikal.
As for the exploration of the lake, the most important moment happened 2 years later, when Vasily Kolesnikov prepared a detachment of hundreds of Cossacks and headed to Baikal in search of silver ore. When the detachment reached the northern tip, he created the Verkhneangarsky prison, this place became a staging post for further movement, in Transbaikalia and the Far East. In 1661 the Irkutsk Ostrog was founded on the right bank of the Angara opposite the mouth of the Irkut. This is a very important moment in the history of Lake Baikal.
For 3.5 centuries, the lake has been associated with Irkutsk, this city has become a real one with the protection of the lake, if you come to the Baikal region, be sure to stop in Irkutsk. Today Baikal still continues to transform, although it has already been discovered and explored many times.
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Earthquakes constantly occur in the vicinity, which means that the history of Lake Baikal is still moving. Scientists say that the subsidence of the depression is associated with the formation of vacuum centers, they were formed due to the outpouring of basalts to the surface.
If you do not take into account all the scientific data, it should be said that Lake Baikal is beautiful in itself, even if we do not know its depth, age, properties. This lake attracts millions of people every year, because its landscapes are simply beyond words.
And standing by the shore of the lake, and realizing that it is the deepest on the planet, it is impossible to take your eyes off it and not feel goose bumps on your skin. If you are still thinking, then do not hesitate, such a trip will be remembered for a lifetime.
KRUGER ADEL