Lake Baikal

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lake-baikal

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Lake Baikal?31,722 km²
2. How deep is Lake Baikal?1,642 meters
3. What is the location?Southern Siberia, Russia
4. What is the age?25-30 million years
5. What makes Lake Baikal special?Lake Baikal is the world's deepest continental lake, reaching 1,642 meters, and it holds a huge amount of fresh water. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its unique wildlife and clear water.
6. How old is Lake Baikal?Lake Baikal formed about 25 to 30 million years ago, making it the oldest lake on Earth.

Rift Valley: A large elongated depression with steep walls formed by the downward displacement of a block of land.
Endemism: The ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation, country or other defined area.
Pinniped: A category of marine mammals that includes seals, sea lions, and walruses.