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Issyk-Kul

#24 in World

Kyrgyzstan

1 / 9
© Қайырқан ӘсемCC BY-SA 4.0
Area
6K km²
Coordinates
42.4000, 77.2000
Category
lakes

Overview

The world's second largest alpine lake - a warm, saltwater gem ringed by snowy peaks.

About

Issyk-Kul or Ysyk-Köl is an endorheic saline lake in the western Tian Shan mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan—just south of a dividing range separating Kyrgyzstan from Kazakhstan. It is the eighth-deepest lake in the world, the eleventh-largest lake in the world by volume, and the second-largest saline lake. It is located at an elevation of 1,607 metres (5,272 ft). Despite the elevation and low temperatures during winter, it rarely freezes due to its high salinity.

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More about Issyk-Kul

Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Issyk-Kul, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Read full article