There are more than 48,000 large and small lakes in Kazakhstan, of which the largest are the Caspian, Aral Sea and Balkhash. The largest number of lakes is located in the northern part of the country, and the high-mountain ones are mainly in the southern part.
Let’s look at the most beautiful lakes, which are definitely worth a visit when you come to Kazakhstan:
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is located on the border of Asia and Europe, its waters are washed by Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan. Its area is 390,000 km2, the maximum depth reaches 1025 m, so it is considered the largest drainless lake in Kazakhstan, but because of its size it is called the sea. In summer, many tourists come here who want to relax on sandy beaches and improve their health with the help of therapeutic mud and mineral waters.
Lake Balkhash
Lake Balkhash is located in the Alakol River basin in southeastern Kazakhstan and is the 14th largest lake in the world. The lake is considered unique, because the composition of the water in the lake is noticeably different, if in the eastern part it is brackish, then in the western part it is almost fresh. The length of the lake is 614 km, and the maximum depth reaches 26 m. Balkhash is located at the intersection of Karaganda, Zhambyl and Almaty regions and its shape resembles a crescent.
Despite the different chemical characteristics of the water, about 20 species of fish, about 60 species of rare plants and more than 120 species of birds live here.
In addition, there are many other beautiful lakes in Kazakhstan that adorn various regions of Kazakhstan and attract many tourists. Among them, the following lakes deserve special attention:
- Aral Sea
- Alakol Biosphere Reserve
- Bartogai reservoir
- Big Almaty Lake
- Kapchagai reservoir
- Kolsay lakes
- Lake Borovoe
- Lake Issyk
- Lake Kaindy
