Lake · Kazakhstan
Lake Alakol
Lake Alakol is a large salt lake in eastern Kazakhstan. Flamingos and a very rare bird called the relict gull can be seen on its islands, and the lake is part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Picture credit: mkwster (CC BY 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Lake Alakol?
Countries on its shores: Kazakhstan.
Middle of the lake: 46.17° N, 81.58° E
The story behind it
Lake Alakol lies 347 m above sea level in eastern Kazakhstan. It covers about 2 650 km² and is up to 54 m deep. Its water is salty. Rivers such as the Urzhar and the Emil flow into it, and at times water also comes from the nearby Lake Zhalanashkol. Swampy lowlands link Alakol with a few smaller lakes. The lake lies at the north-western end of a long, narrow valley called the Dzungarian Gate, which leads towards the dry lands of north-western China. Alakol has several islands. On Piski Island you can see flamingos, the very rare relict gull and about 40 other kinds of birds. Since 2013 the lake and its surroundings have been a UNESCO biosphere reserve, a place where nature is specially protected. Many people believe the water is good for health: even cosmonauts came here to recover after their trips into space.
Find it on the globe
Lake Alakol is there as a small blue dot with its name, right on the water. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.
It sits at its real coordinates, not near them — the same numbers listed in the facts above. Switch off the layer for this kind of place and it disappears again; the buttons for that are down the right-hand edge.
Questions children ask
How big is Lake Alakol?
Lake Alakol covers about 2 650 km². It is up to 54 m deep.
Which birds live at Lake Alakol?
On Piski Island you can see flamingos and the very rare relict gull. About 40 other kinds of birds live there too.
Why did cosmonauts come to Lake Alakol?
The water of Lake Alakol is said to be good for health. That is why cosmonauts came here to recover after returning from space.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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