Largest lake in the world

What to remember

Five countries share its shores: Kazakhstan to the northeast, Russia to the northwest, Azerbaijan to the southwest, Iran to the south and Turkmenistan to the southeast. The Caspian Sea, an enclosed body of water lying in both Europe and Asia, covers 389,000 km², which makes it the largest lake in the world.

Lake or sea? Both words are used. Geologically it is closer to a small ocean, and it is usually called a full-fledged sea, yet it is counted among lakes. Its water is about 1.2% salt, roughly a third of the salinity of average seawater.

The area depends on what is counted. Leaving out the highly saline Garabogazköl lagoon to the east gives about 371,000 km², an area similar to Japan. Counted separately, that lagoon would itself be the world's 15th largest lake, at 18,000 km². The Caspian is 1,199 km long, with a maximum depth of 1,025 m and a volume of 78,200 km³.