Issyk-Kul
Issyk-Kul (also Ysyk-Köl, Kyrgyz: Ысык-Көл, romanized: Ysyk-Köl, lit. 'warm lake', [ɯsɯk kœl]) is an endorheic (i.e., without outflow) saline lake in the western Tianshan Mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan, just south of a dividing range separating Kyrgyzstan from Kazakhstan. It is the seventh-deepest lake in the world, the tenth-largest lake in the world by volume (though not in surface area), the deepest lake whose deepest point is above sea level (939 meters or 3080 feet), and the third-largest saline lake. Issyk-Kul means "warm lake" in the Kyrgyz language; although it is located at a lofty elevation of 1,607 metres (5,272 ft) and subject to severe cold during winter, it rarely freezes, due to the salinity.
| Issyk-Kul | |
|---|---|
Issyk-Kul Issyk-Kul | |
Issyk-Kul from space, September 1992 | |
| Coordinates | 42°25′N 77°15′E |
| Lake type | Ancient lake, Endorheic Mountain lake Monomictic |
| Primary inflows | Glaciers |
| Primary outflows | Evaporation |
| Catchment area | 15,844 square kilometres (6,117 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Kyrgyzstan |
| Max. length | 178 kilometres (111 mi) |
| Max. width | 60.1 kilometres (37.3 mi) |
| Surface area | 6,236 square kilometres (2,408 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 278.4 metres (913 ft) |
| Max. depth | 668 metres (2,192 ft) |
| Water volume | 1,736 cubic kilometres (416 cu mi) |
| Residence time | ~330 years |
| Salinity | 6g/L |
| Shore length1 | 669 kilometres (416 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 1,607 metres (5,272 ft) |
| Settlements | Balykchy, Cholpon-Ata, Karakol |
| Official name | The Issyk-kul State Nature Reserve with the Issyk-kul Lake |
| Designated | 12 November 2002 |
| Reference no. | 1231 |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The lake is a Ramsar site of globally significant biodiversity and forms part of the Issyk-Kul Biosphere Reserve.