About Lake Baikal: Lake Baikal sits in a deep rift valley in southern Siberia, formed by the slow pulling apart of the Earth's crust over tens of millions of years. It holds more fresh water than all five of North America's Great Lakes combined. Water So Clear You Can See 40 Meters Down — Among the clearest natural lake water on Earth.

Location: Southern Siberia, Russia · Max Depth: 1,642 m (5,387 ft) The deepest lake anywhere on Earth. · Area: 31,722 km² (12,248 mi²) Roughly the size of Belgium. · Formation: A slowly widening continental rift · Countries: Russia (entirely) Located completely within Russian territory. · Wildlife: The Baikal seal, found nowhere else · Freshwater Held: ~20% of Earth's unfrozen fresh water · Notable Feature: The oldest lake on Earth Formed 25 to 30 million years ago. · World Rank: Deepest & largest freshwater lake by volume