Lake Sevan

Where is Lake Sevan?

Countries on its shores: Armenia.

Largest lake of: Armenia.

Middle of the lake: 40.32° N, 45.35° E

The story behind it

Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia, and no lake in the Caucasus is bigger. About 28 rivers and streams flow into it, but only one river, the Hrazdan, flows out. Most of the water leaves the lake by evaporating. In the 20th century people let a lot of water run out through the Hrazdan to make electricity and to water fields. The lake sank by about 20 metres, and its only big island became a peninsula. On it stands Sevanavank, a monastery from Armenia's Middle Ages. Later, tunnels were dug to bring in water from other rivers, and the level has risen again a little. That is why its area changes; today it is about 1 240 km². The Sevan trout lives only here, but it has become rare. Armenia has no sea coast, so the lake has the only beaches in the country, and many visitors come in summer.

Find it on the globe

Lake Sevan 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.