Lakes of Belarus
More than 10,000 lakes in Belarus with a total area of about 2000 km² make up about one percent of the total area of the country, their water volume is about 6 km³. There are 20 lakes with an area of more than 10 km².
The largest standing inland water is the Naratsch (79.6 km²), the deepest lake is the Long Sea , Возера Доўгае , depth 53.7 m. Among the biggest lakes include Aswejskaje Lake (52.8 km²), which, however, mostly in Lithuania lying Dryswjaty Lake (49 square kilometers), the Red Lake (40.8 km ²), Lukomskaje Lake (37.7 km² ), Lake Dryvyaty (36.1 km²) and others. Most of the lakes are in the north of the country in the Belarusian Lake District and in the south in Polesia . In some areas, such as Braslau Raion and Uschachy Raion , the lake area accounts for up to 10% of the territory.
Many lakes are found in groups or chains of small rivers and streams, including the Ushachy Lakes with about forty bodies of water and the system of fifty Braslau lakes connected by the Drujka River .
In geomorphological depressions , it is often ice-age glacial lakes (especially in the north).
Lakes in the north of the country are usually located within the glacial moraines and plains up to heights of 160–180 m above sea level. Most of them have well demarcated banks and steep, high embankments. The largest lakes in Polesia lie in shallow swampy depressions and are surrounded by moors .
500 phytoplankton species were registered in the vegetation , as well as other aquatic plants and algae.
In addition to representatives of zooplankton in the lakes, there are copepods , mussels and crustaceans, among others . More than 20 species of game fish are caught in Belarus' lakes, the most valuable of which are: bream , carp and perch . The European eel is also of economic importance .
In addition to water management and fishing, the lakes are also used for irrigation, river regulation, supplying human settlements and tourism.
literature
- В. П. Якушка. Азёры // Блакітная кніга Беларусі: Энцыкл. / БелЭн; Рэдкал .: Н.А. Дзiсько i iнш. - Мн .: БелЭн, 1994.
- Озера Белоруссии / О.Ф. Якушко и др. - Мн .: Ураджай, 1988. - 216 с.
Web links
- Lakes of Belarus on poseidon.by (Belarusian)