5 deepest lakes in the world

Topping the list of the world's deepest lakes is Lake Baikal, at 1,642m deep, containing one-fifth of the planet's unfrozen fresh water reserves.

1. Lake Baikal (1,642 m)

Lake Baikal, the jewel of Siberia, is estimated to be 25 million years old and is the world's deepest lake at 1,642 m deep. This ancient lake holds about 20% of the world's unfrozen surface freshwater.

Lake Baikal has 27 islands, the largest of which is Olkhon, which spans 72 km.

2. Lake Tanganyika (1,470 m)

Lake Tanganyika is located in East Africa, spanning four countries: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania, and Zambia. With a depth of 1,470 m, Tanganyika is the second largest lake in the world.

3. Caspian Lake (1,025 m)

The Caspian, with a depth of 1,025 m, is the world's largest lake and is often mistaken for a sea. Located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, the Caspian covers an area of ​​370,000 km2, about the size of Japan. It is also dotted with 50 islands, although most are very small.

4. Lake Vostok (1,000 m)

Lake Vostok lies 1,000m below the Antarctic ice sheet, so no light has reached it for millions of years. The lake, shrouded in perpetual darkness, is over 257km long and 48km wide. The deepest point of the lake, which can reach nearly 1,000m deep, is at its southern end, in contrast to the shallower north and southwest.

5. Lake O'Higgins/San Martín (836 m)

The O'Higgins/San Martín Glacier Lake is about 836 m deep and lies across a remote region of Patagonia between Chile and Argentina.