A lake is a body of water surrounded by land. Most of us think of a lake as a small water body with fresh water. But lakes can have freshwater, brackish water, or even salt water. Also, lakes can be thousands of square kilometers in area. The following are the top 10 largest lakes in the world by surface area. Let’s read.
Top 10 largest lakes in the world
10. Great Slave Lake
A large lake in the Northwest Territories in Canada, Great Slave Lake is the number 10 entry on this list. Great Slave Lake is a freshwater glacial lake with a surface area of 27,000 square kilometers.
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| Maximum depth | Countries | Water type |
| about 615 meters | Canada | freshwater |
9. Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi is a freshwater lake located in Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. It has a surface area of approximately 29,500 square kilometers.
| Maximum depth | Countries | Water type |
| about 700 meters | Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania | freshwater |
8. Great Bear Lake
Another lake on this list from the Northwest Territories in Canada, Great Bear Lake has an approximate surface area of 31,000 square kilometers. Great Bear lake is the largest lake entirely within the borders of Canada.
| Maximum depth | Countries | Water type |
| about 445 meters | Canada | freshwater |
7. Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is the largest lake in Russia and the seventh largest in the world by surface area. The lake has a surface area of approximately 31,500 square kilometers. It is estimated that Lake Baikal has the largest volume among all freshwater lakes on Earth. Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world with a maximum depth of over 1,600 meters.
| Maximum depth | Countries | Water type |
| about 1,640 meters | Russia | freshwater |
6. Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is present in DRC (the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Tanzania, Burundi, and Zambia. It is the second largest African Great lake with a surface area of 32,600 square kilometers. Lake Tanganyika is also the second deepest lake in the world.
| Maximum depth | Countries | Water type |
| about 1,470 meters | DRC (the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Tanzania, Burundi, and Zambia | freshwater |
5. Lake Michigan
A North American Great Lake, Lake Michigan is the fifth largest lake in the world. It is the largest lake in the world entirely within a country (USA). Lake Michigan has a surface area of 58,000 square kilometers (22,400 square miles).
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| Maximum depth | Countries | Water type |
| about 280 meters | USA | freshwater |
4. Lake Huron
The second largest among the Great lakes of North America, Lake Huron has a surface area of 59,600 square kilometers (23,000 square miles). Lake Huron is connected to Lake Michigan through the Straits of Mackinac and Lake Superior through the St. Marys River. Also, Lake Huron is connected to Lake St. Clair through the St. Clair River. Lake St. Clair is connected to Lake Erie through the Detroit River.
| Maximum depth | Countries | Water type |
| about 230 meters | USA and Canada | freshwater |
3. Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is an African Great Lake present in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. The lake has a surface area of 68,870 square kilometers making it the largest lake in the whole of Africa.
| Maximum depth | Countries | Water type |
| about 80 meters | Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda | freshwater |
2. Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five great lakes of North America. The lake has a surface area of 82,100 square kilometers (31,700 square miles) and is present in USA and Canada. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area.
| Maximum depth | Countries | Water type |
| about 400 meters | USA and Canada | freshwater |
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1. The Caspian Sea
With an area of approximately 371,000 square kilometers, the Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world. The Caspian Sea has saline water (saltier in the southern regions) and it forms a coast in five countries – Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan. The maximum depth of the Caspian sea is about 1.03 km.
| Maximum depth | Countries | Water type |
| about 1.03 km | Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan. | Saltwater |
Most asked questions
Caspian Sea
Lake Baikal (over 1,600 meters deep)
Lake Superior
Lake Victoria
Lake Superior
Caspian Sea
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