Lake Baikal is a freshwater rift lake in southern Siberia, Russia, between Irkutsk Oblast and the Republic of Buryatia. It is the deepest lake in the world, reaching 1,642 metres, and the oldest, at 25 to 30 million years.
Though seventh-largest by surface area at 31,722 square kilometres—slightly larger than Belgium—Baikal’s extreme depth makes it the most voluminous freshwater lake on Earth. It holds 23,615 cubic kilometres of water, roughly 22 to 23 per cent of the world’s fresh surface water and more than all the North American Great Lakes combined. The lake is among the clearest in the world and supports thousands of plant and animal species, many found nowhere else. The surrounding region, known as Baikalia, is home to Buryat communities who raise livestock on the eastern shore, enduring winter lows of −19 °C and summer highs around 14 °C. UNESCO designated Lake Baikal a World Heritage Site in 1996, recognising its exceptional natural value and biodiversity.
