Largest Lakes in the World by Area, Volume and Depth Share By Matt Rosenberg This page includes three lists of the world's largest lakes. They are ranked by surface area, volume, and depth. The first list is surface area: Largest Lakes by Surface Area 1. Caspian Sea - Asia - 371,000 sq km (143,000 sq mi)* 2. Lake Superior - North America - 82,100 sq km (31,698 sq mi) 3. Lake Victoria - Africa - 68,800 sq km (26,563 sq mi) 4. Lake Huron - North America - 59,600 sq km (23,011 sq mi) 5. Lake Michigan - North America - 57,800 sq km (22,316 sq mi) 6. Lake Tanganyika - Africa - 32,900 sq km (12,702 sq mi) 7. Great Bear Lake - North America - 31,328 sq km (12,095 sq mi) 8.

Baikal - Asia - 30,500 sq km (11,776 sq mi) 9. Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa) - Africa - 30,044 sq km (11,600 sq mi) 10. Great Slave Lake - North America - 28,568 sq km (11.030 sq mi) Source: The Times Atlas of the World Largest Lakes by Volume 1. Baikal - Asia 23,600 cubic km** 2. Tanganyika- Africa - 18,900 cubic km 3. Superior - North America - 11,600 cubic km 4. Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa) - Africa - 7,725 cubic km 5. continue reading below our video 4 Tips for Improving Test Performance Lake Michigan - North America - 4900 cubic km 6. Lake Huron - North America - 3540 cubic km 7. Lake Victoria - Africa - 2,700 cubic km 8.

Great Bear Lake - North America - 2,236 cubic km 9. Issyk-Kul (Ysyk-Kol) - Asia - 1,730 cubic km 10. Lake Ontario - North America - 1,710 cubic km Source: Wikipedia Deepest Lakes in the World 1. Lake Baikal - Asia - 1,637 m (5,369 ft) 2. Lake Tanganyika - Africa - 1,470 m (4,823 ft) 3. Caspian Sea - Asia - 1,025 m (3,363 ft) 4. O'Higgins Lake (San Martin Lake) - South America - 836 m (2,742 ft) 5. Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa) - Africa - 706 m (2,316 ft) Source: Wikipedia * Some consider the Caspian Sea not to be a lake but it is surrounded by land and thus meets the generally accepted definition of a lake. ** Lake Baikal holds one-fifth of the world's freshwater.

Largest Lake in the World - Largest in the United States Largest Lake in the World & Largest Lake in the United States Caspian Sea map: Map of the Caspian Sea - World's largest landlocked water body (by surface area). Image by CIA. Which Lake is the World's Largest? There are a few different ways to define the world's largest lake. Are you interested in the lake with the largest surface area? Or, the lake with the greatest water volume? And, do you want to consider saltwater seas in your comparison? "Which lake is the world's largest?" is not a simple question to answer. So, we will explore the question from a few different perspectives. World's Largest Lake (by volume): Lake Baikal is the world's largest freshwater lake in terms of volume. It contains about 5,521 cubic miles of water (23,013 cubic kilometers), or approximately 20% of Earth's fresh surface water. This is a volume of water approximately equivalent to all five of the North American Great Lakes combined.

While Lake Baikal is extremely deep, its surface area is only about 12,248 square miles (31,722 square kilometers), putting it in seventh place worldwide in terms of surface area. Lake Baikal map: Map of Lake Baikal - World's largest freshwater lake (by volume). Image by CIA. World's Largest Lake (by surface area): The salty Caspian Sea has the greatest surface area of any lake at 143,200 square miles (370,886 square kilometers). Lake Superior, on the United States/Canada border, is the named freshwater lake with the greatest surface area at 31,700 square miles (82,103 square kilometers). However, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron can technically be considered a single lake because they both have the same surface elevation and they are connected by the Mackinac Strait (which is not a river because the water does not have a consistent flow direction). So, Lake Michigan-Huron could be considered the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area.

It has a total surface area of 45,410 square miles (117,611 square kilometers), which is significantly larger than Lake Superior. The total water volume in Lake Michigan-Huron, at 2,026 cubic miles (8,443 cubic kilometers), is much smaller than the volume of Lake Baikal. Great Lakes map: Map of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron - World's largest freshwater lakes (by surface area). Image by CIA. Largest Lake in the United States (by volume): The largest lake in the United States on the basis of water volume is Lake Superior with a volume of 2,904 cubic miles (12,104 cubic kilometers). Largest Lake in the United States (by surface area): Lake Superior is the single named lake with the largest surface area in the United States at 31,700 square miles (82,103 square kilometers). However, as mentioned above, if you consider Lake Michigan and Lake Huron as a single lake, then Lake Michigan-Huron has the largest surface area at 45,410 square miles (117,611 square kilometers).

Largest freshwater lake by volume | Guinness World Records Largest freshwater lake by volume Share Where Russia Siberia The freshwater lake with the greatest volume is Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia, with an estimated volume of 23,000 km³ (5,500 miles³). All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search. (You will be need to register / login for access) Lake Baikal, World's Largest Freshwater Body, Turning Into A Swamp, Ecologists Say Lake Baikal, World's Largest Freshwater Body, Turning Into A Swamp, Ecologists Say 09/09/14 AT 4:53 AM Close Ecologists warn that Lake Baikal, the world’s oldest and deepest freshwater lake, is being turned into a swamp by thousands of tons of waste dumped by local tourist resorts and marine vessels. In response, the Russian government has reportedly launched a multi-million dollar plan to rescue the UNESCO-protected lake.

At a meeting recently held in Irkutsk, a city on the banks of the Angara River that drains the lake, ecologists said that an increasing number of alien water plant species are also causing water logging in the Siberian lake, which has been described as one of the natural wonders of the world, according to a report by Russia Today. About 160 tons of liquid waste, reportedly produced every season in Baikal’s Chivyrkui Bay, is being dumped into the lake by tourists camps on the lake's shores, according to a local media report, which citied Baikal Environmental Wave, a Russian nonprofit. Tourist camps reportedly pass on the waste to companies that are meant to safely dispose of it. However, the vehicles often don’t reach disposal facilities and instead dump the waste into the lake or in rivers that flow into it. Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia is pictured in this handout photo taken by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield February 26, 2013, aboard the International Space Station courtesy of NASA.

Photo: REUTERS/Chris Hadfield/NASA/Handout General view of the Baikalsk pulp and paper mill built at the southern tip of Lake Baikal in Siberia, eastern Russia. Environmentalists, politicians and international organisations are still trying to find a way to stop the mill fouling the pure waters of the lake without causing the economic collapse of the town of Baikalsk. Picture taken JUL99. Photo: Reuters The MIR-2 submarine is lowered into the waters of Siberia's Lake Baikal during a test-run of a diving expedition July 24, 2008. Photo: REUTERS/Zorikto Dagbaev Previous Next But, the largest contributor to the lake’s dismal condition are reportedly ships, boats and yachts that together produce about 25,000 tons of liquid waste annually, of which only about 1,600 tons is disposed of properly, according to the report. The dumping of waste has reportedly led to a spurt in alien plant species such as Spirogyra and Elodea Canadensis, which block the lake's natural drainage system and contribute to a decline of native species.

To address the problem, the ecologists have reportedly suggested equipping garbage vehicles with monitoring devices to track where the waste is delivered, as well as introducing new technologies to clean up the lake and educating locals on conservation issues. Previously the largest polluter of the lake was reportedly the Baikal Pulp and Paper mill, which was shut down in December 2013 after a two-decade long battle. However, the closure of the 47-year-old mill, which was Irkutsk's only major employer and accounted for 80 percent of its income, left almost 2,000 people unemployed, taking a heavy toll on the region’s economy. Oleg Kravchuk, Russia's minister of natural resources and ecology in the Irkutsk region, at a meeting in the city last week reportedly proposed to create environmentally friendly enterprises and amended local legislation to allow the construction of plants to bottle water as well as process vegetables and fruit. Additionally, an eco-friendly vessel called the Trofim Yaskin will reportedly deal with the problem of pollution caused by water transport vehicles, untreated sewage discharge and lakeside garbage.

The vessel will reportedly be equipped with solar panels and a wind generator to power devices that can recycle sewage water into fuel, as well as recover solid waste and eliminate condensation. The project is estimated to cost over 12 million rubles or $3.2 million. The 25-million-year old Lake Baikal is a rift lake cause by the movement of the continental shelf, in southern Siberia. It contains the greatest volume of freshwater -- about 20 percent of the world’s unfrozen surface freshwater supply -- and, with a maximum depth of 1,642 meters, it is also the deepest lake in the world. Largest Lakes - Water Volume Lakes & Reservoirs - Lakelubbers Largest Lakes - Water Volume Lakes & Reservoirs Search and Sort Lakes Show only guest editable lakes Search Results Here are the 1162 lakes we have listed - compared by Largest Lakes - Water Volume. Note: For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Water Volume" is unknown or does not apply, so this comparison may show fewer lakes than you originally selected. Suggest a new lake . Page 1 of 47.

(Azerbaijan / Iran / Kazakhstan / Northern Caucases, Russia / Povolzhsky, Russia / Turkmenistan) 62,424,915,900 Also known as: Mazandaran Sea, Khazar Sea, Khvalyn Sea With the largest volume of any saltwater "lake" on earth, the Caspian Sea holds well over 62 billion acre-feet of saltwater. Many classify the Caspian Sea not as a lake, but as an inland sea. (There is no widely accepted definition of "lake," but most exclude bodies of saltwater.) Considered by many ... (Eastern Siberia, Russia) 19,261,440,000 Also known as: Lake Baykal, Sacred Sea, Pearl of Siberia, Blue Eye of Siberia, Galapagos of Russia Russia's national treasure, Lake Baikal, is the world's deepest lake and is our planet's largest freshwater lake measured by water volume. Its bottom is 4,215 feet below sea level. Lake Baikal contains about 1/5 of Earth's unfrozen surface freshwater. It is also one of the most biologically diverse ...

(African Great Lakes / Burundi / Congo (DRC) / Kigoma, Tanzania / Rukwa, Tanzania / Zambia) 14,430,694,800 Located in the Western Great Rift Valley of Africa, the crystal clear water of Lake Tanganyika reaches across four countries - Burundi, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania. Stretching 420 miles, this lake is the longest freshwater lake in the world and has a maximum width of 31 miles ... (Ontario, Canada / Great Lakes / Michigan, USA / Minnesota, USA / Wisconsin, USA) 9,799,680,000 Skipping over state and country borders, Lake Superior, the largest, deepest, coldest, cleanest, least developed, and most pristine of the Great Lakes, reigns as the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. By volume, this 31,820 square mile colossus ranks fourth - a whopping 2,900 cubic ...

(Ontario, Canada / Great Lakes / Illinois, USA / Indiana, USA / Michigan, USA / Wisconsin, USA) 6,858,776,000 Lake Michigan and Lake Huron - two of North America's Great Lakes - are contiguous and they share the same elevation of 577 feet above sea level. They are connected by the five-mile-wide Straits of Mackinac. Hydrologically, this makes these "two lakes" a single lake. Some hydrologists designate the ... (African Great Lakes / Malawi / Mozambique / Iringa, Tanzania / Mbeya, Tanzania / Ruvuma, Tanzania) 6,809,990,827 Also known as: Lake Nyasa, Lake Nyassa, Lake Niassa, Lago Niassa Located in the East African Rift Valley system between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, Lake Malawi -- also known as Lake Nyasa, Lake Nyassa, Lake Niassa, and Lago Niassa -- is the third-largest lake in Africa at over 7,314,319 acres. It also has the distinction of being the second deepest lake in Africa ...

(Great Lakes / Illinois, USA / Indiana, USA / Michigan, USA / Wisconsin, USA) 3,987,456,000 As the only Great Lake nestled completely within the boundaries of the United States, Lake Michigan is the pride and joy of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The lake boasts a huge area of 22,400 square miles, making it the largest freshwater lake (by surface area) in the world to be contained ... (Ontario, Canada / Great Lakes / Michigan, USA) 2,872,320,000 A glacial lake of epic proportions, Lake Huron is the second largest of the five Great Lakes by surface area, boasting 23,010 square miles and an incredible 3,825-mile shoreline. The massive lake is the third largest of the Great Lakes by water volume, containing 850 cubic miles of fresh water within ...

(African Great Lakes / Nyanza, Kenya / Western, Kenya / Kagera, Tanzania / Mara, Tanzania / Mwanza, Tanzania / Uganda) 2,229,461,280 Also known as: Victoria Nyanza, Victoria Ukerewe, Victoria Nalubaale Lake Victoria -- also known as Victoria Nyanza, Ukerewe, and Nalubaale -- rakes in the superlatives: it is the largest lake on the African continent by surface area, the largest tropical lake in the world, and the second largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Joined by five others, Lake ... (Northwest Territories, Canada) 1,812,754,700 Great Bear Lake is located in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is a natural lake, encircled by wilderness, and the largest lake completely in Canada. Great Bear Lake is on the Arctic Circle and ice-covered eight months out of the year. With an area of over 7 million acres and more than 26 islands, ...

1,409,025,024 Also known as: Ysyk Kol, Issyk-Kol Little-known Lake Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan is poised to become Central Asia's most famous tourism destination. Popular among citizens of the former USSR, the new and refurbished resorts and health spas of Issyk Kul are now open for business and beckon all those with an adventurous spirit to the second-largest ... (Ontario, Canada / Great Lakes / New York, USA) 1,328,025,600 Lake Ontario, one of the world's five Great Lakes, weaves over state and country borders, delighting Americans, Canadians, and visiting tourists with its deep, clear, clean waters. Proudly home to a staggering 4,700,000 acres (7,340 square miles), Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes, the ... (Northwest Territories, Canada) 1,284,095,982 Great Slave Lake is the fifth-largest lake (by acreage) in North America and, following Great Bear Lake, is the second-largest in Canada.

A natural lake, it is located in south-central Northwest Territories (NWT). Located just south of the Arctic Circle, Great Slave Lake is frozen about five and a half ... 736,127,580 Also known as: Lake Laatokka, Ladozhskoye Ozero Located 25 miles north of St. Petersburg, Russia's Lake Ladoga is the largest freshwater body in Europe with a surface area of 4,481,238 acres. The amazing lake stretches for 136 miles across northwestern Russia and has an average width of 51 miles. There are 660 islands in the lake and over 32 rivers ... (Bolivia / Peru) 723,148,586 Located on the border of Peru and Bolivia is the largest freshwater lake by volume in South America, Lake Titicaca. With an elevation of 12,507 feet, this million year old lake is also one the world's highest commercially navigable lakes. All along the shores are native villages where traces of their ...

(Ireland / Northern Ireland, United Kingdom) 609,656,322 Also known as: Loch Feabhail Standing on the stoop of his holiday cottage looking out over the water of Lough Foyle, he was struck by how closely the 44,000 acre estuary matched his expectations. With its rocky shore set against the backdrop of County Donegal's cliffs and mountains, Lough Foyle (Irish name-Loch Feabhail) is exactly ... 492,102,909 Also known as: Van Goiu Turkey's Lake Van is a spectacular example of a very old lake surrounded by a very old culture. Located in the far eastern area of Turkey called Anatolia near the border with Iraq, Iran and Armenia, this ancient portion of the Silk Road has been conquered and re-conquered so many times that it's difficult ... (African Great Lakes / Congo (DRC) / Rwanda) 445,892,257 Also known as: Lac Kivu Lake Kivu is one of the youngest of the African Great Lakes.

Located in the Rift Valley, Lake Kivu is thought to be only 15,000 years old. Forming part of the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the lake formed during the Pleistocene Era when volcanic events in the Virunga ... (Ontario, Canada / Great Lakes / New York, USA / Pennsylvania, USA / Michigan, USA / Ohio, USA) 391,987,200 Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes of North America, straddles the borders of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, and the Canadian province of Ontario. The lake is named after the Native American tribe that inhabited its shores before being killed off by the Iroquois League for aiding their enemy, ... (Alberta, Canada) 354,221,666 Surrounded by Alberta's wide-open spaces and endless Canadian skies, Gull Lake is located in Alberta's Central tourism region. Well situated between Edmonton and Calgary in south-central Alberta, Gull Lake attracts a growing number of seasonal residents. Gull Lake's 19,917-acre surface area lies across ...

250,267,163 Also known as: Lake Hovsgol Often referred to as "The Dark Blue Pearl", Lake Khovsgol is Mongolia's largest and deepest lake. Located in the northernmost province and surrounded by wooded mountains, Lake Khuvsgul is 84 miles long, 22 wide, 860 feet deep and sits at an altitude of 5,397 feet above sea level. It is frozen from January ... (Manitoba, Canada) 228,833,000 Lake Winnipeg is a long (271 miles) somewhat shallow outdoor enthusiast's dream. It's located some 35 miles north of Winnipeg, Manitoba and is a natural favorite for Canadian residents as well as visitors. Lake Winnipeg's beautiful beaches, provincial parks and uncluttered waters afford a wealth of ... 10 Largest Lakes In The World - 10 Most Today 10 Largest Lakes In The World 1 Comment This is a list of the world’s largest lakes by area (you can also take a look at the world’s deepest lakes ): 1.

Caspian Sea – 371,000 km2 (143,000 sq mi). The Caspian Sea is often regarded as the largest lake in the world, but it contains an oceanic basin rather than being entirely over continental crust. This makes it an oceanic lake and differs it from all the other lakes in this list which are continental lakes. The Caspian Sea is also the world’s third deepest lake . It has no outflows and is bounded by Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan The Caspian Sea – the largest lake in the world 2. Lake Superior – 82,414 km2 (31,820 sq mi). Bounded by Canada and the United States, Lake Superior is the largest lake of the five Great Lakes of North America Largest Lakes In The World: Lake Superior 3. Lake Victoria – 69,485 km2 (26,828 sq mi). The largest lake in Africa. It is bounded by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania Largest Lakes In The World: Lake Superior 4. Lake Huron – 59,600 km2 (23,000 sq mi).

The second largest lake of the Great lakes. Lake Huron also contains Manitoulin Island, the world’s largest lake island Largest Lakes In The World: Lake Huron 5. Lake Michigan – 58,000 km2 (22,000 sq mi). Also one of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan is just slightly smaller than Lake Huron. It is also the world’s largest lake entirely within one country – the United States. Chicago and Milwaukee are located on the shore of Lake Michigan Chicago and Lake Michigan 6. Lake Tanganyika – 32,893 km2 (12,700 sq mi). The lake is not only the 6th largest in the world, it is also the second deepest lake in the world – 1,470 m (4,820 ft) and the longest lake in the world – 676 km (420 mi). Lake Tanganyika is divided among four countries – Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Zambia Largest Lakes In The World: Lake Tanganyika 7. Lake Baikal – 31,500 km2 (12,200 sq mi).

The lake is entirely within Russia. It is also the deepest lake in the world and the largest volume fresh water lake in the world Largest Lakes In The World: Lake Baikal 8. Great Bear Lake – 31,080 km2 (12,000 sq mi). The largest lake entirely within Canada and the fourth largest in North America. Great Bear Lake is covered with ice from late November to July, at that time there is an ice crossing (ice road) to Deline which lies on the shore of the lake Largest Lakes In The World: Great Bear Lake 9. Lake Malawi – 30,044 km2 (11,600 sq mi). The lake is divided between Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. The lake is the second deepest lake in Africa and it has more fish species than any other lake on Earth Largest Lakes In The World: Lake Malawi 10. Great Slave Lake – 28,930 km2 (11,170 sq mi).

This Canadian lake is also the 8th deepest lake in the world and the deepest lake in North America Largest Lakes In The World: Great Slave Lake 10 Largest Lakes in the World - WorldAtlas.com 10 Largest Lakes in the World These most massive of the world's natural lakes are found across the Americas, Asia, and Africa. The only "oceanic lake" on our list, the Caspian Sea spans a portion of the continental boundary between Asia and Europe. Lakes can be formed as a result of tectonic, volcanic, or even glacial activities, but intentional and accidental human activities also have created and destroyed many lakes. Looking at natural causes of lake formation, the fact that most of the world’s great lakes are in North America is by no coincidence. This has come to be because, in the distant past, the region was covered in glaciers and, as these glaciers move constantly, their removal of earth and deposition of melting ice water causes lakes to be formed. Nonetheless, it’s our duty as humans to protect and preserve the world’s lakes, as also serve as important habitats and water resources. While there’re a lot of noteworthy lakes on the planet, we have listed the 10 largest lakes in the world.

Lakes are bodies of water located completely inland, independent and separated from the divisions of oceans and seas. Lakes are larger and deeper when compared to the bodies of water we refer to as ponds, and many of them are fed and drained by streams and rivers. It’s estimated that there are around 2 million lakes across the globe. Some lakes lie in mountainous areas, while others are found at elevations near sea level. Lakes can either be freshwater lakes, or saline lakes. The world's largest lakes are not only known for their enormous size, but are visited often because of their rich flora and fauna as well, and the outdoor recreational activities and tours offered at many guarantee visitors to them very unique experiences indeed. While the passing seasons and years frequently cause the surface areas of several of these lakes to vary considerably, the listed lakes can be described as quite enormous at all times. The largest of these lakes covers a total surface area of no less than over 370 thousand square kilometers. That said, if you have ever wondered just where the world’s largest lakes are, we have narrowed your search down for you.

the following is a summary of the 10 largest natural lakes in the world in terms of total surface area, and each are truly majestic water bodies. Do note, however, that man-made lakes and reservoirs weren’t considered for the analysis that follows. 10. Great Slave Lake - 28,930 Square Kilometers Not only is The Great Slave Lake the 10th largest lake in the-world, it's also North America's deepest lake reaching 614 meters in depth, and the 2nd largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The lake is 480 km long, ranges from 19 to 109 km wide, and covers a surface-area of 28,930 square kilometers. The Hay River is the Primary inflow, while the main outflow is the Mackenzie River. Situated far north at a surface elevation of at around 156 meters, the Great Slave Lake’s surface is frozen through much of the year. 9.

Lake Malawi - 30,044 Square Kilometers Lake Malawi, also referred to as Lago Niassa in Mozambique and Lake Nyasa in Tanzania, is a very stunning African lake which makes our list. Tanzania, Mozambique, and Malawi form the basin countries of this lake, which is the southernmost lake inside the East African Rift Lake system. Along with being the 9th largest lake in the world with a total surface area of 30,044 square kilometers, the lake holds the distinction as being the 3rd largest and the 2nd deepest lake on the African Continent as well. With its deepest point reaching down 706 m, Lake Malawi has a length of 579 km and an average depth of 292 m. The primary inflow for Lake Malawi is the Ruhuhu River, and the primary outflow is the Shire River at its southern end.

Formed at a height of about 500 meters above sea level owing to the separation of tectonic plates, this meromictic lake (a lake with surface and deep-water layers that don’t intermix) is famous for being the lake that hosts the highest number of species of fish in the world, including almost 1,000 cichlid species. 8. Great Bear Lake - 31,080 Square Kilometers Located 200 km south of the Arctic Circle within the Northwest Territories of Canada, the Great Bear Lake is the fourth largest in North America. It is 320 km long, and up to 175 km wide. The deepest point of this glacial lake is 446 m, with an average depth of 71.7 m. The lake has 26 islands within it that cover a combined area of 759.3 km². Great Bear’s Primary outflow is the Great Bear River. The surface area of the lake is at a height of 186 m above sea level, and it’s known for unbearably cold temperature drops in the winter months, as exhibited in the frozen surface pictured above. 7.

Lake Baikal - 31,500 Square Kilometers Another lake from the Northern Hemisphere, Lake Baikal, also called “Nature’s Lake”, is a rift lake (Lakes formed due to movements within a tectonic rift zone) situated north of the Mongolian border in Russia’s southern Siberian region, between the Russian states of Buryat Republic and Irkutsk Oblast. Lake Baikal is the world’s largest ice-free freshwater lake, and contains around 20% of world’s total fresh water. It is also considered to be one of the ‘clearest’ lakes in the world. Along with being the 7th largest lake in the world, with a total surface area of 31,500 km², it also the world’s largest lake by volume, and the world’s deepest lake. It may even be one of the oldest lakes on our planet, with an age estimated to be no less than 25 million years.

The average depth of this lake is 744.4 m, with its deepest point being 1642 meters (rift lakes are typically deeper compared to non-rift ones, due to the depths of the rifts formed by tectonic movements which the waters fill). It is called the “Galapagos of Russia” owing to the isolation from humans and longstanding age that have made home to some of the most varied and unusual fresh water fauna in the world. The basin of this lake is situated entirely in Russia, and its primary sources of inflow are the Barguzin, Selenge and Upper Angara Rivers. It is drained entirely by the Angara River. 6. Lake Tanganyika - 32,893 Square Kilometers Lake Tanganyika is another of the African Great Lakes to make our list. As the world’s longest freshwater lake and among the largest in surface area, Lake Tanganyika is located amidst the highlands of Africa, with inflows from the Ruzizi, Kalamboo, and Malagarai Rivers. According to estimates, it is the 2nd deepest and largest freshwater lake in the world by volume.

With a basin extending into Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lake Tanganyika is the world’s 6th largest lake overall, with a total surface area of 32,893 km², and average depths of 570 m, with the deepest point being 1470 m below surface level. Like many large lakes, Lake Tanganyika was formed due to tectonic movements, and has a distance of 677 km at its longest, and a width of around 50 km at its widest. It’s known to be the 2nd deepest lake, after Lake Baikal, and is formed 642 m below sea level. 5. Lake Michigan - 58,016 Square Kilometers Lake Michigan is among the Great Lakes found in North America but, unlike the others, this lake is situated entirely within the United States. In fact, it’s the largest amongst all of the lakes that are found entirely within one single country.

Out of the Great Lakes, it's the 3rd largest by surface area, with a total area of 57,800 Km², and, by volume, it is the 2nd largest with 4,918 cubic km of water. It is 494 km long and 190 km wide, and has over 2,575 km of shoreline. The basin of Lake Michigan is conjoined to the basin of Lake Huron to the east. With an average depth of 85 m, the lake reaches down to 282 m at its deepest point. Like many other lakes in North America, Lake Michigan was formed by glacial movements, and is connected to the ocean by means of manmade waterways and canals, such as the Saint Lawrence and Great Lakes channels which were constructed to meet that purpose. 4. Lake Huron - 59,596 Square Kilometers Bounded between Michigan in the US on the west and by Ontario in Canada on the north and east, Lake Huron is another from among North America’s Great Lakes.

Huron can boast its prowess as the world’s 4th largest lake, and the 3rd largest fresh water lake, with a surface area covering 59,596 km². The lake is 331 km long and 295 km wide. The deepest point of the lake is 229 m, and its average depth of is 59 m. Like the other Great Lakes, Lake Huron was formed due to the movement of glaciers, and its main sources of inflow are Mackinac Strait and Saint Mary’s River. Another fun fact about Huron is that the lake is the home of Manitoulin Island: the Largest 'Lake Island’ in the world. 3. Lake Victoria - 69,485 Square Kilometers Lake Victoria holds the titles of Africa's largest lake, the world’s largest tropical lake, and as the 2nd largest fresh water lake, covering a total surface area of 69,485 square kilometers. Named after Queen Victoria, it is one of the Great African Lakes, and is fed by inflows from the Kagera River. The basin of the lake covers a large area of Africa.

This lake is relatively shallow, with an average depth of 40 m and a maximum depth of 84 m. Lake Victoria is bounded by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, and has 84 islands within its body. 2. Lake Superior - 82,414 Square Kilometers Lake Superior is considered to be the world’s largest freshwater lake by area, the 3rd largest such body by volume, and the 2nd largest lake of any kind by overall area in the world. It is also the largest amongst all of the North American Great Lakes, with a total surface area of 82,414 square kilometers. At its furthest extent, Lake Superior is about 563 km long, 257 km wide, and attains a maximum depth of 406 m. Via the St. Mary’s River and the Soo Locks, water from Lake Superior flows outward into Lake Huron. Like the other Great Lakes, Lake Superior was formed due to glacial movements. 1.

Caspian Sea - 371,000 Square Kilometers The Caspian Sea has characteristics common to both seas and lakes and is listed as the world's largest lake, although it is not a freshwater lake. It is the world's largest enclosed inland water body, with a total surface area of 371,000 km², holding 78,200 cubic km of water by volume which is about 3.5 times more water by volume than all five of the Great Lakes combined. Besides this, it is also the 3rd-deepest lake in the-world. The Deepest part of the lake is 1,025 m, and the lake has a length of 1,199 km at its longest span, with an average depth of 211 m. The Caspian Sea is unique as the only Oceanic Lake on this list, with the rest being considered as Continental Lakes. This is because rather than being entirely over the continental crust, the Caspian Sea has an Oceanic Basin. It also is an “endorheic basin”, referring to it being a closed system with no outflows.

The Caspian Sea has Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Russia and Azerbaijan among its basin countries. The Volga, Ural, Terek, and Kura Rivers all serve as major sources of inflow feeding the Caspian Sea. Largest Lakes in the World Rank Lake Superior Facts SIZE, DEPTH, WATERSHED, WATER QUALITY, etc 1. Lake Superior is, by surface area, the world's largest freshwater lake. 2. The surface area of Lake Superior (31,700 square miles or 82,170 square kilometers) is greater than the combined areas of Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. 3. Lake Superior contains as much water as all the other Great Lakes combined, even throwing in two extra Lake Eries. Its volume is second only to Russia's Lake Baikal. 4. Lake Superior contains 10% of all the earth's fresh surface water. 5. There is enough water in Lake Superior (3,000,000,000,000,000--or 3 quadrillion-- gallons) to flood all of North and South America to a depth of one foot. 6.

The deepest point in Lake Superior (about 40 miles north of Munising, Michigan) is 1,300 feet (400 meters) below the surface. 7. Over 300 streams and rivers empty into Lake Superior. 8, The average elevation of Lake Superior is about 602 feet above sea level. 9. The Lake Superior watershed region ranges in size from 160 miles inland near Wabakimi Provincial Park to only 5 miles inland from Pictured Rocks National Seashore. 10. The Lake Superior shoreline, if straightened out, could connect Duluth and the Bahama Islands. 11. The average underwater visibility of Lake Superior is 27 feet, making it easily the cleanest and clearest of the Great Lakes. Underwater visibility in places reaches 100 feet. Lake Superior has been described as "the most oligotrophic lake in the world." 12. The lake is about 350 miles (563 km) in length and 160 miles (257 km) in width. 13.

In the summer, the sun sets more than 35 minutes later on the western shore of Lake Superior than at its southeastern edge. 14. Lake Superior has over 400 islands, the largest of which is Isle Royale, with a size of 207 square miles. 15. Waves of over 40 feet in height have been recorded on Lake Superior. 16. Travel by car around Lake Superior covers a distance of about 1,300 miles. 17. The largest underwater formation in Lake Superior is the Superior Shoal, which rises from a depth of over 1,000 feet to within 20 feet of the water surface over a distance of just three miles. 18. Sudden changes in winds or barometric pressure around Lake Superior can produce seiches, a phenomena which results in water levels rising or falling as much as six feet along a coast in a short period of time. 19. Water in Lake Superior is retained, on average, 191 years. GEOLOGY, FLORA AND FAUNA, CLIMATE, etc. 1.

Lake Superior is one of the earth's youngest major features, at only about 10,000 years of age--dating to the last glacial retreat. By comparison, the earth's second largest lake (by surface area, and largest by volume), Lake Baikal in Russia, is 25 million years old. 2. Fifty-eight orchid species are native to the Lake Superior basin. In North America, only Florida has more native orchid species. 3. Lake Superior produces the greatest lake effect snows on earth. (Significant lake effect snows are a rare phenomenon, occurring--besides on the Great Lakes--only on the east shore of Hudson Bay and the west coasts of two Japanese islands.) Lake effect snows extend 20 to 30 miles inland, primarily on the Ontario shore southeast of Marathon, and from Sault Ste. Marie to the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Average annual snowfall in Michigan's Keweenaw exceeds 200 inches in places. 4. Lake Superior has been at its modern elevation for only about 2,000 years, when elevations of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron dropped, creating a rapids at Sault Ste. Marie. 5.

Lake Superior has its origins in the North American Mid-Continent Rift of 1.1 to 1.2 billion years ago, which produced a huge plume of hot mantle where the present lake sits. The crust tore apart, leaving an arc-shaped scar stretching form Kansas through Minnesota, then down to Michigan. 6. Within its borders, Lake Superior has both the thickest, and nearly the thinnest, crust found anywhere in North America. 7. When European explorers visited Lake Superior in the 1600s they reported giant sturgeons (up to nine feet in length) and pike of greater than seven feet in length. 8. The largest tributary of Lake Superior, Ontario's Nipigon River, was in the 1800s the finest brook trout water in the world. It produced the world record brook trout of 14.5 pounds. 9. Some of the world's oldest rocks, about 2.7 billion years of age, can be found on the Ontario shore of Lake Superior. 10. The average annual water temperature of Lake Superior is 40º F. It only very rarely freezes over completely, and then usually just for hours.

The last complete freezing of Lake Superior occurred in 1979, although the lake was almost completely frozen over in 2014. 11. Migrating birds of prey funnel down Lake Superior's north shore in great numbers each fall. On a single day at Duluth's Hawk Ridge as many as 100,000 birds of prey might pass by. 12. Lake Superior rests mostly on Precambrian rock at the southern edge of the Canadian shield, the largest exposure of such bedrock on the planet. 13. Sliver Islet, a Lake Superior island off Ontario's north shore, was the site for 15 years in the 1800s of the world's richest silver mine. 14. Lake Superior contains nearly 70 million diporeia (shrimplike creatures) with a total biomass greater than that of the human population in the entire Lake Superior basin. 15. Lake Superior is home to 88 species of fish.

Five of the world's largest natural freshwater sources - Desolenator Blog Five of the world’s largest natural freshwater sources Posted on Leave a Comment It’s well-known that water is a finite resource, which is why it can have such disastrous consequences when it’s abused . Although no country is immune to the world water crisis, there are certain parts of the world where there is an abundance of fresh water (or should be). Brazil, for example, is the country with the largest supply followed by Russia, which brings Canada and the USA in tow. So excluding man-made reservoirs, what are the largest natural sources of fresh water on this fine Earth? We take a look at five of them. 1. Antarctica Together, the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets contain more than 99% of the freshwater ice on Earth – therefore Antarctica accounts for around 70% of the world’s freshwater, although obviously we can’t access it as it’s locked up in ice. Covered in ice averaging 1.9 km (2.1 miles) thick, it’s been estimated that sea levels worldwide would rise about 60 metres if the entire Antarctic ice sheet were to melt. 2.

The Great Lakes, North America Coming second only to the polar ice caps, Lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Eerie and Superior together make up 21% of the world’s surface freshwater by volume. 3. Lake Baikal, Russia Lake Baikal is the oldest and deepest freshwater lake in the world, situated in a rift and curving for nearly 400 miles through south-eastern Siberia. It is thought be 25 million years old and contains roughly 20% of the world’s unfrozen surface freshwater – the greatest in the world by volume. 4. Lake Victoria, Africa Spanning Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, Lake Victoria is the world’s second largest freshwater lake by surface area; only Lake Superior in North America is larger (see above). 5. Lake Tanganyika, Africa It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest – after only Lake Baikal in Siberia (see above). It is also the world’s longest freshwater lake. Lake Tanganyika is spread across four countries: Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Burundi.

Images: Christopher Michel , NASA , Sergey Gabdurakhmanov , Lukas Bergstrom and Fabulousfabs at Flickr Creative Commons and USGS at Wikimedia Commons It's only fair to share...

Question: What is the world's biggest freshwater lake by volume?
Answer: Lake Baikal