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Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal, one of the most remarkable lakes in the world, is located in the southern part of eastern Siberia. It is the oldest existing freshwater lake on Earth (about 25 million years old), as well as the deepest continental body of water, with a maximum depth of 1,637 meters. It is about 621 km long and varies in width from about 14 to 80 km. The lake’s area makes it the third largest lake in Asia, the largest freshwater lake on the Eurasian continent and the eighth largest in the world.
The Baikal is fed by the Selenge, Bargusin, and Verkhnaya Angara rivers and more than 300 mountain streams.
Lake Baikal has several islands, the largest of which is Olkhon.
The lake’s mineral-free waters support an unusual population of organisms, including many species endemic to the lake. More than 1,000 species of animals and plants are not found anywhere else in the world.
Industries along the shores of Baikal include mining, the manufacture of cellulose and paper, shipbuilding, fisheries. A pulp and paper mill built on Lake Baikal’s southern shore in 1966 drew strong environmental protests from scientists and writers because its wastes were polluting the water, and in 1971 the Soviet government adopted a decree to protect the lake from polluting emissions.
The lake is a popular summer resort. There are many mineral springs, and visitors come to Goryachinsk for the curative properties of the waters.
A number of national parks and nature preserves have been established along its shores to protect the environment. The largest of them are the Zabaikalsky and Pribaikalsky national parks.
The Lake Baikal Coastal Protection Zone, covering the lake and its environs (a total of 88’000 square km), was created in 1987, and the same area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.
Questions:
1. Where is Lake Baikal located?
2. What are its length, width, depth?
3. How many rivers and streams flow into the lake?
4. What happened when the pulp and paper mill was built on Lake Baikal’s shore?
5. When was the lake and its environs proclaimed as a UNESCO World Heritage site?