There are numerous lakes in the world, all known for some unique feature or the other.Needless to say, it is quite fascinating to learn about the world’s largest freshwater lakes. In terms of surface area, the five largest lakes are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Victoria, and Lake Tanganyika.In North America and all over the world, Lake Superior is considered to be the largest freshwater lake covering the most area. It is also a part of the biggest freshwater lake system, which consists of four other major lakes in addition to Superior. However, since there is more than one way to define “biggest”, in terms of volume of water, Lake Baikal is the largest, while in the case of length, Lake Tanganyika tops the list. Belonging to Africa, just like Tanganyika, Lake Victoria is known to be the largest freshwater lake of tropical nature.However, none of these lakes are anywhere close to the Caspian Sea, which is a saltwater lake (with some parts containing partly freshwater), even though its name suggests otherwise. The Caspian Sea has a surface area of 143,000 sq mi (370,368 sq km), making it the world’s largest lake, overall.To learn more amazing facts about the biggest freshwater lake, keep reading! You can also check out biggest earthquake in Los Angeles and the biggest flood ever?Cool Facts About Biggest Freshwater Lake In The WorldWhen talking about cool facts regarding the world’s biggest freshwater lake, it is certainly mandatory to mention the five Great Lakes of North America, which top the list for being the largest group of such kind. The five lakes that constitute the Great Lakes are Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie.Some of the fascinating dimensions of the Great Lakes will certainly leave you stunned. 20 percent of the world’s freshwater is found in this group of Great Lakes combined, making the Great Lakes the second largest lake together, in terms of volume. Apart from the five lakes, the Great Lakes also constitute four connecting pathways or channels, another smaller lake, and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The system of the Great Lakes is vital for citizens of both the United States and Canada, as this group is the primary supplier of freshwater in these countries. Research has confirmed that the present shape, size, and orientation of the Great Lakes first took place nearly 3000 years ago, making this entire system one of the oldest lakes in the United States. Out of the five constituent members of Great Lakes, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron deserve special mentions for covering huge areas.The numbers related to the size of Lake Superior are quite astonishing, to say the least! Out of all the Great Lakes, Lake Superior holds the most volume of water and also covers the most surface area. In fact, in terms of total surface area, no other lake on this planet has topped Lake Superior. Out of the five Great Lakes, this single lake has more water than the other four combined. Being number one in the world by surface area, Lake Superior covers 31,802 sq mi (82367 sq km) and has a maximum width of 160 mi (257 km). Bordering the states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin in the United States, the deepest point of Lake Superior measures 1333 ft (406.3 m). The history of how this lake was formed is quite fascinating, as well. Over 1.2 billion years ago, a rift caused the continent of North America to break apart that eventually led to the formation of this enormous water body.Though Lake Huron and Lake Michigan come nowhere near Lake Superior, they are marked as the fourth largest lake and fifth-largest lake, in the world, in terms of surface area, respectively. Additionally, in terms of surface area of freshwater lakes, Lake Huron holds the position of the third largest lake, while Lake Michigan is placed at fourth. While Lake Huron covers a distance of 23,007 sq mi (59,588 sq km), Lake Michigan comes in after Lake Huron covering a total area of (58,030 sq km). The maximum depth of both these lakes is 750 ft (229 m) and 923 ft (281 m), respectively.Unusual Facts About Biggest Freshwater Lake In The WorldYou might already know that the continent of Africa is filled with diversity in every way. So, it is not really surprising that the largest freshwater lake of tropical nature is located in Africa. Known as Lake Victoria, the largest lake of Africa and second to Lake Superior in terms of surface area, this lake holds a number of unusual and intriguing facts.Lake Victoria covers a giant area of 23,146 sq mi (59,946 sq km). While you might think this number is spectacular, the maximum depth of this waterbody is quite stunning as well and measures 266 ft (81 m). The naming of this second largest lake by area has an interesting history. John Hanning Speke, an explorer of British origin, was the first European to discover the lake. Subsequently, he decided to name it Lake Victoria to honor Queen Victoria. Before his discovery, this lake was known as Lake Nyanza.Being the world’s largest tropical lake, Lake Victoria sustains a wide range of marine life, with a lot of them being endemic. Astonishingly, there are over 500 species of cichlid fishes in this lake, with most of them being endemic. Unfortunately, attributing to different causes, species richness has been on a decline for the last several years.Coming to the unusual facts, Lake Victoria, one of the world’s largest lakes, is prone to drying up. Though researchers are yet to point out a particular reason, one of the possible reasons could be the average depth of the lake which is not much and measures around 131 ft (40 m). The last time this lake was completely devoid of water was about 17,000 years ago. Conservationists believe that rapid climate change can lead to another complete dehydration of Lake Victoria.Iconic Facts Biggest Freshwater Lake In The WorldApart from the total surface area, it is also possible to mark a lake as the “biggest” for holding the most water or having the maximum depth in the world. Such is the case for Lake Baikal, which even though is not the largest freshwater lake by total area covered, is certainly the deepest lake in the world and holds 20 percent of the total freshwater of the world. To put it into perspective, the water in this lake is more than all of the water in the Great Lakes.Lake Baikal is located in Southern Siberia and is also the oldest lake in the world. The maximum depth of this lake is 5,354 ft (1,632 m), while its average depth is 2,442 ft (744 m). Being a rift lake, Lake Baikal formed 25 million years ago due to a rifting event, now known as the Baikal Rift zone. In fact, the area where Lake Baikal is situated in a rift valley and hence, prone to earthquakes. Apart from having so many tags, Lake Baikal has been labeled as one of the clearest lakes. This recognition has been given because, during the summer months, the melted snow from the Siberian mountains causes the lake to become spectacularly clear, with visitors being able to see up to 130 ft (39 m) below.The cause of this huge water content in Lake Baikal can be attributed to the 300 rivers and streams that all drain here. However, the lake itself has a single outlet, known as the Angara River. Eventually, all this water drains into the Arctic Ocean.Did you know that Lake Baikal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site? This is because, Lake Baikal displays exceptional species diversity, both in terms of animals and plants. In fact, 80% of the animal species that belong to Lake Baikal are endemic to that region. One of the causes behind the diversity of this lake is its oxygenated water, which allows marine animals to survive at all depths.Talking about lakes with species diversity, Lake Malawi belonging to the African continent has more fish than any other lake. Considered the eighth largest freshwater lake in terms of area, and the fifth-largest lake by volume, Lake Malawi is one of the most enticing and fascinating lakes in the world.Inspirational Facts About Biggest Freshwater Lake In The WorldHave you ever heard of Lake Tanganyika? It is the largest freshwater lake in the world, in terms of its length. Continue reading to learn some amazing facts about this waterbody!Located in East Africa, Lake Tanganyika has a length of 420 mi (476 km) and an average depth of 1870 ft (570 m). Its maximum depth is a whopping 4826 ft (1471 m), making it the second deepest lake, right after Lake Baikal. However, in Africa, though this waterbody is the deepest, it is the second largest lake. Being a narrow and long lake, the maximum width of Lake Tanganyika is not more than 45 mi (72.4 km). In terms of volume, it is the second largest lake by volume, in comparison to all other lakes.One of the most inspirational facts related to Lake Tanganyika is the Battle for Lake Tanganyika that occurred during World War I. During the earlier half of the war, the troops belonging to Germany had gained control of this lake. The Allied Forces, tried to capture the German territories, but every time they would make any attempt, the Germans would use the lake to deploy troops right behind the Allies. With considerable planning and efforts, the Allied Forces were able to bring two ships by the name of HMS Toutou and HMS Mimi which helped in defeating two of the three ships belonging to the Germans. The advancement of the Allied in the lake went hand in hand with their advancement on land. Ultimately, the Allied won in not only capturing the lake, but also the German territories located around the lake. Hence, Lake Tanganyika was both the witness and the prize for one of the most celebrated wins during World War I.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the biggest freshwater lake in the world then why not take a look at the biggest blizzard or biggest bone in the body?
There are numerous lakes in the world, all known for some unique feature or the other.
