The village of Sakhyurta on the shores of Lake Baikal. Known as the soul of Siberia, Lake Baikal was formed after a unique geographical rift 25 to 30
The village of Sakhyurta on the shores of Lake Baikal. Known as the soul of Siberia, Lake Baikal was formed after a unique geographical rift 25 to 30 million years ago and is known as the world’s oldest lake. At 636 kilometers long and 79 kilometers wide, it is also the biggest, holding an impressive 20% of the world’s fresh water. Lake Baikal is so big, in fact, if the world was to run out of fresh water tomorrow, the lake alone could sustain it for the next 40 years. It’s also the deepest, its crevices growing and the water level rising by 1 millimeter per year. The lake is home to around 1,700 species of flora and fauna, of which 80% are endemic. It is also, however, terribly polluted- thanks to years of heavy industry built along its shores. The recent closure of Lake Baikal’s last big polluter, the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill in March this year has sparked local into pursuing a new industry: tourism.
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Photo credit: © Leisa Tyler / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: baikal, country, countryside, exteriors, hill, hills, lake, lakes, landscape, landscapes, life, line, living, outdoor, outdoors, rural, russian, sakhyurta, scene, scenery, scenes, scenic, scenics, settlements, shore, shoreline, side, soviet, urban, view, views, village, vista, vistas, water
