Issyk-Kul

Where is Issyk-Kul?

Countries on its shores: Kyrgyzstan.

Largest lake of: Kyrgyzstan.

Middle of the lake: 42.42° N, 77.25° E

The story behind it

Issyk-Kul lies 1 607 metres above the sea and is very deep: up to 668 metres. After Lake Titicaca, it is the second-largest mountain lake in the world. About 118 rivers and streams flow into it, but no river flows out. That is why its water is slightly salty, although much less salty than the sea. The salt is one reason the lake hardly ever freezes, even when the winter air is icy cold. Under the water, researchers have found remains of old settlements. One of them, Toru-Aygyr, was founded in the 13th century and sank beneath the waves after earthquakes in the 15th century. In Soviet times, many holiday homes were built along the northern shore, and the lake became a popular place for holidays. Towns on the shore include Karakol, Cholpon-Ata and Balykchy. Issyk-Kul is by far the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan.

Find it on the globe

Issyk-Kul 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.