Baskunchak

Lake Baskunchak (Russian: Баскунчак; Kazakh: Басқұншақ, romanized: Basqunshaq) is a salt lake of 115 km in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia, located at 48°10′N 46°53′E / 48.167°N 46.883°E / 48.167; 46.883, about 270 km north of the Caspian Sea, and 53 km east of the Volga. Since 1997, the area is protected as part of the Bogdinsko-Baskunchakski Nature Reserve.

The surface elevation of the lake is 21 m below sea level. It is fed by a river that draws from an area of 11,000 km. The salinity of the lake is about 300 g/L. Since the 8th century, its salt was mined and traded along the Silk Road. Nowadays, the lake's salt of distinct purity (99.8% NaCl) covers 80% of Russia's salt production. Depending on demand, 1.5 million to 5 million tons of salt are mined per year.