Nikki Yang | Geography 308
Lake Baikal “Sacred Sea”
Southeastern Siberia, Republic of Buryatia
Lake Characteristics
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25-30 million years old, deepest
(1,700m) lake in the world.
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636 km long by 80 km wide, 2100
km of coastline, made up of 3
underwater depressions.
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20% of the world’s fresh water.
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Numbers of islands in the lake, the
largest one is Olkhon.
http://www.fotobaikal.narod.ru/images/Baikal/kruiz01.jpg
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Over 3 hundred rivers and
streams flow into Baikal.
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Deepest point is 1637 m; its clarity
allows 40-50 m of visibility.
http://www.fotobaikal.narod.ru/images/Baikal/kruiz08.jpg
Climatic Conditions
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January & February = -19 C, August = +11 C
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Surface water temperature
on the open part of the
lake in August is +9 to 12 C
near the shore it is
sometimes as high as +20 C

Freezes in January with an
ice thick of 70-115 cm
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Precipitation
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Middle and North 200-350 mm
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South 500-900 mm
http://www.fotobaikal.narod.ru/images/Baikal/kruiz05.jpg
Buryat History
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The earliest written accounts of Lake
Baikal occur in Chinese texts.
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Russians colonized in 1600’s and
intermixed with the Buryats.
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The Republic of Buryatia lies along the
eastern shore of Baikal.
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Created by Soviets in 1923 with the joining of
Buryat-Mongol and Mongol-Buryat Oblasts.
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Remained as minority
republic within Russia after 1991
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Capital = Ulan-Ude
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Population = 386,000
http://www.visitsiberia.com/images/maps/reg4.gif
The Buryats
http://www.badma-seseg.ru/photo02.html
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Largest ethnic minority
group in Siberia
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Mongol descent
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Engaged in hunting, fishing,
gathering, intensive cattlebreeding.
Religions of the Buryats
Shamanism

Decline of Shamanism

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1930 Killings and Imprisonment
by Stalin
Healing substantiated
http://www.sarahleen.com/contents/images/stories-cgi/Baikal/12BuddhistMonks
Buddhism
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Originated from Mongolia
Influenced by Lamas
Buddhist Center – Ivolginsk Datza
The first Buddhist women’s cloister
http://www.baikaler.com/photos/shamaningbig.jpg
Olkhon Island
http://www.baikalex.com/travel/olkhon.html

Biggest Island of Baikal and the lake's energetic center

The Buryats see both the lake and Olkhon Island as Sacred
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Picturesque landscapes, sandy bays, steep capes with unusual
shapes make Olkhon a place to treasure.
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The lake is also a strong symbol of Siberian Russian identity.
Animals and Plants
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1200 different species of
animals and 1000 species of
plants
80% of the species at Baikal
are endemic (Native)
Most unique animal Nerpa
Seal
Epishura zooplanktons and
small crustaceans
responsible for the clarity of
Baikal’s water.
http://www.irkutsk.org/baikal/under.htm
http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~rpeter/images/travel/nerpa.jpg
Plants
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Larches
Alpine Plants
Cedars
Vascular Plants
http://baikal.irkutsk.org/plants/page_01.htm
Invertebrates & Fishes
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Most diverse communities – Benthic
invertebrate populations
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Gammarids
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Oligocheates
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Mollusks
http://www.ermiksson.net/~laura/aqua/pics/omul.jpg

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/projects/alaskatools01/media/benthos_600.jpg
50 edible species of fish
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Salmon
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Sturgeon
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Grayling
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Omul
Animals
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2500 species of animals
82% are endemic (native)
14 endemic families with 100
geniuses
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Brown Bear
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Siberian Chipmunk
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Reindeer
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Elk
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Moose
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Deer
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White Tailed Eagle
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Grey Heron

Black Headed Gull
http://www.fond-ecran.org/1024/D-heron-1024.jpg
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/pa/pa0601_pto.html
http://www.teuva.fi/maisema/dk02/larrid10603.jpg
Animal Poaching
http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~rpeter/images/travel/nerpa.jpg
http:www.sbaikal.pp.ru/eng/baikal/anmials.html
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Poaching is a growing problem
Hunting
Illegal trade in pelts and skins
Decline of animals
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Brown Bear
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Deer
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Moose
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Elk

Nerpa
Habitat destruction
Nerpa Fur
http://www.reapintl.com/photos/feb-apr2003/studententerprises/evenkmuseum/images/nerpa%20fur.jpg
Economy
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Baikal is the base of Russian
economic expansion towards Far
East
Irkutsk Oblast – Chief administrative
and Economic Center of Siberia
Industrial-Agricultural and
Commercial Territory
Producing

Wheat

Vegetables

Textiles
http://www.sarahleen.com/contents/images/stories-cgi/Baikal/Baikal.html
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Industries
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Machinery
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Aviation
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Forestry
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Mining
Natural resources
Unique Nature
Healthy Springs
Wild Forest
Different Furs
Wonderful Recreational Possibilities
Ecological Problems
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Human environmental Impacts
Construction of the Irkutsk Dam.
Intensive industrial development
The Paper-and-Pulp Mill

Polluted the surrounding region and
threatens pristine conditions that existed for
centuries.

Produces bleached cellulose that is used in
clothing manufacture.

Produces chemicals and effluent that
threaten more then 1,500 species unique to
the lake.
Air Pollution
Selena River
Laws and Protection
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http://www.fotobaikal.narod.ru/images/gal28/b11.jpg
Lake Baikal was earliest case
of Soviet Environmental
Movement, 1960’s.
Russian State Committee of
Environmental Protection
Federal Forestry
1993 Baikal Commission
Federal Law “About Safety of
Lake Baikal” (passed in 1999).
Sources
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Lake Baikal Guidebook
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http://baikal.eastsib.ru/
Baikal Explorer
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http://baikalex.com/
Living Lakes
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http://www.livinglakes.org/partnership.htm
Baikal Web World
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http://www.bww.irk.ru/index.html
Lake Baikal Homepage

http://www.irkutsk.org/baikal/index.html