Reference note
Lake Baikal is located on the territory of two constituent entities of the Russian Federation - the Irkutsk Region and the Republic of Buryatia, with the border crossing the lake.
The lake stretches 636 kilometres from north to south and has the maximum width of 79.5 kilometres. Baikal's average depth is 730 meters, while the maximum depth is 1,637 metres, making it the world's deepest lake.
Lake Baikal's surface area is 31,500 square kilometers, which approximately equals the land area of Belgium, the Netherlands or Denmark.
The lake's total water volume is 23,600 cubic kilometers, equaling the volume of the five North American Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario) taken together. Baikal holds 80% of Russia's and 20% of the world's total fresh surface water. In terms of fresh water reserves, Baikal is the largest in the world; in terms of surface area it ranks eighth.
With its diversity of flora and fauna, Lake Baikal is a world-renowned natural landmark. In December 1996, Baikal was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.