File:STS039-085-00E_Lake_Balkhash,_Kazakhstan_April_1991.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Lake Balkhash

Also known as Lake Balkash, Balkhash, Balkash, Balkhash Lake, Balkash Lake

lake in southeastern Kazakhstan

AI overview

Lake Balkhash is a large body of water located in southeastern Kazakhstan that serves as an important freshwater and brackish water resource for the region. The lake matters because it supports local ecosystems and communities that depend on its water for drinking, agriculture, and fishing.

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Wikidata facts

Area: 18740
Elevation: 342
Image: STS039-085-00E Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan April 1991.jpg
Width: 70
Length: 620
Perimeter: 2385

Show 5 more facts

Commons category: Lake Balkhash
watershed area: 428340
residence time of water: 6.8
vertical depth: 6
volume as quantity: 106000

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Article

Lake Balkhash, also known as Lake Balqash, is a lake in southeastern Kazakhstan. It is one of the largest lakes in Asia and the 15th largest in the world. It is located in the eastern part of Central Asia and sits in the Balkhash-Alakol Basin, an endorheic (closed) basin. The basin drains seven rivers, the primary of which is the Ili, bringing most of the riparian inflow; others, such as the Karatal, bring surface and subsurface flow. The Ili is fed by precipitation, largely vernal snowmelt, from the mountains of China's Xinjiang region.

The lake currently covers about 16,400 km (6,300 sq mi). However, like the Aral Sea, it is shrinking due to diversion and extraction of water from its feeders. The lake has a narrow, quite central, strait. The lake's western part is fresh water and its eastern half is saline. The eastern part is on average 1.7 times deeper than the west. The largest shore city is named Balkhash and has about 66,000 inhabitants. Main local economic activities include mining, ore processing and fishing.