Lake Van
Lake Van (
Turkish Van Gölü) is the largest
lake in
Turkey, located in the far east of the country. It is a saline lake with no outlet,
receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the
surrounding mountains. The lake is 120 km long, 80 km wide, has an area of
3,755 kmē and is located 1719 metres above sea level. Its waters are rich in
sodium carbonate and other salts which are extracted by evaporation and used as detergents. Darekh, a species of
herring caught during the spring floods, spawns near the mouths of streams feeding the lake and is the only
fish that can survive in the brackish waters. The lake is surrounded by
fruit and
grain-growing
agricultural areas.
Beside the lake is the city of Van, which was the ancient capital of Urartu.
Sources and external links