Lake Baikal: In News
Researchers said ancient DNA obtained from bodies interred in four burial sites in the Lake Baikal area revealed the presence of the oldest-known strains of Yersinia pestis, the plague bacterium.
- It is located in the southern part of eastern Siberia, south-central Russia, near the border with
- It is the oldest existing freshwater lake on Earth.
- It is the world’s largest freshwater lake.
- It is also the world’s deepest lake.
- There are 45 islands and islets in Lake Baikal, of which Olkhon is the largest island.
- Rivers: Barguzini, Selenga, Upper Angara, Sarma, and Turka are the major rivers that drain into the lake.
- It has only one outlet, the Angara River.
- It is also home to the Buryat people, who follow the Tibetan Buddhist religion and reside on the eastern side of the lake, rearing goats, camels, cattle, and sheep.
- The lake was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
