BAIKAL, bi'161/ (Turk.. Tatar Lai, rich kal, kid, lake, sea ; Mongol, Dalai-Nor, holy sea). The third lake in point of size in Asia, and the largest fresh-water lake of the Conti nent: situated in the south of Siberia, in the Government of Irkutsk, on the line of the Si berian Railway, in latitude 51° to 55° N., lon gitude 103° to 110° E. (Slap: Asia, K 3). It is creseent-shaped. covers an area of 13,000 square miles, and has a shore-line of I000 miles. lts length is 390 miles, and its breadth from 20 to 50 miles; height above the sea, 1513 feet: greatest depth. off its southwest shore, about 4500. The bottom of the lake is, therefore, about 2900 feet beneath the level of the ocean. Its waters are clear and transparent. The Baikal Mountains, a spur of the Altai, inclose the lake, which is fed by numerous streams, the chief of which are the Selenga and Bargusin. Its outlet is by the Lower Angara, a chief tributary of the Yenisei. Baikal has several islands, the largest of which is Olkhon. Petroleum ma. Ils, mineral and
hot springs are found in the vicinity of the lake. and the region is subject to violent earthquakes. Baikal forms an important link in the chain of communication between Russia and China, and has two commercial ports. Of recent years steamboats have given a considerable impetus to its trade. Its sturgeon. salmon, and fresh water seal fisheries are valuable, and large quan tities of other fish are also taken. A peculiar fish, called the golomynka (Coniephorus Baical ensis), which is almost one mass of fat, yielding train-oil, was at one time caught in immense numbers, but is now rather scarce. The surface of the lake is frozen from November to April; but traffic is carried on over the ice. Besides the Russians settled on the hanks of the Selenga and Angara. the shores of Lake Baikal are also inhabited by tribes of the Buryats and Tun guses. Consult Drizhenko. "Exploration of Lake Baikal." in Geographical Journal, Vol. 11. (Lon don, 1898).