Issyk-Kul
Kyrgyzstan · Asia
About
Issyk-Kul (Russian: Иссык-Куль) or Ysyk-Köl (Kyrgyz: Ысык-Көл [ɯsɯ́q kʰɵl]; lit. 'Hot Lake') 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.
The lake is a Ramsar site of globally significant biodiversity and forms part of the Issyk-Kul Biosphere Reserve.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.