The day of Lake Baikal was originally celebrated on the fourth Sunday in August, but in 2008 the Irkutsk legislators decided to postpone the holiday on the second Sunday of September. This year, the Day of Lake Baikal is celebrated for the 14th time.
2. In addition to the "large" Baikal in Russia, there are several more reservoirs with a similar name. There are even other lakes - in Yakutia and Tomsk region.
3. There are several versions of the name of the lake. The most common of these is the origin of the toponym from the Turkic "Bai-Kul", which translates as "a rich lake".
4. Seismic activity in the area of the lake is colossal - earthquakes on Lake Baikal occur several hundred per year. However, they are not so strong, and most of them can be detected only by highly sensitive equipment.
5. In order to confirm the maximum depth of Baikal (1642 meters), the researchers in 2002 were forced to make measurements at 1,312,788 points of the lake.
6. The purity of water in Lake Baikal allows you to see through its thickness objects at a depth of 40 meters.
7. Baikal's water accounts for about 19 percent of the world's freshwater reserves. In total there are more than 23 thousand cubic kilometers. This is more than in the American Great Lakes combined.
8. Baikal is one of the few lakes that are often called the sea. Officially, this status was awarded to the Caspian and Aral Seas, which are the remnants of the ancient ocean. Also, among lakes traditionally called the Sea of Galilee and the Dead in the Middle East.
9. All known carbonated water, resembling a cola and named after the lake, appeared in 1973. Unique taste of "Baikal" gives a special mixture of herbal extracts and essential oils.
10. Many states could easily fit into the territory occupied by Baikal (its surface area is almost 32,000 square kilometers). For example, such countries are Armenia, Albania or Malta, even increased by a factor of 100.
11. Water from the lake is sometimes equated with distilled water. This is due to the level of mineral content - extremely small for fresh natural water.
12. In winter, the lake's water is covered with a thick layer of ice, which is constantly covered with cracks. The length of these cracks sometimes reaches 30 kilometers.