Tours to Baikal lake with guides.

Lake Baikal, In Eastern Siberia, is a place of superlatives. It Is the world's oldest lake, over 25 million years old. It is the world's largest lake., with a volume of 23,600 km3, as much as all the Great Lakes combined, and equivalent to 20% of the liquid fresh water on the planet, And at 1,620 meters, it Is the world's deepest lake. It Is fed by 335 rivers and drained by only one, the Angara, which Hows north through Irkutsk Oblast and later joins the Yenisey to How to the Arctic. The Russian part of the Lake Baikal basin includes portions of the Irkutsk Oblast, Chita Oblast, and the Republic of Buryayia. The basin also extends into neighboring Mongolia. Seventeenth century Russian explorers learned of the potential wealth of Lake Baikal and the surrounding area as they explored eastwards across Siberia. The region is rich In forest products, with much of the watershed covered by the vast Siberian taiga. Other resources Include hydroelectric power from three stations on the Angara River, and many different metals and minerals. Lake Baikal is surrounded by mountains, forest, and wild streams, some of the most beautiful scenery In all of Siberia. The region is home to many species including brown bear, deer, elk, and moose. Of the 2,635 identified species In Baikal, approximately 70% are found nowhere else in the world. These include the nerpa, a freshwater seal. The lake's water is a valuable resource in itself: pure and clean, and rich in oxygen. But water and air pollution are a threat even to Baikal's vast water mass, and future development in the region must take environmental effects fully into account. The Lake Baikal region Is also culturally rich. Lake Baikal has been considered a sacred place for centuries. The region is important in the history of the Huns, the ancient lurks, and Genghis Khan. Baikal is a crossroads of cultures where the majority population is Russian, but Buryat people maintain their own traditions, and native Soyot people herd reindeer, The region also offers a gateway to neighboring Mongolia with Its own ancient and fascinating culture.