The lakes in Mongolia are distributed unevenly across the country. Many, including some of the largest, can be found in the Great Lakes Depression between the Altai, Khangai and Tannu-Ola mountain ranges in the west. A second group can be found in mountain valleys throughout the country. Lake Khövsgöl in a rift valley south of the Russian Sayan Mountains has the largest volume because of its great depth. The remaining lakes found in the steppe areas and in the Gobi Desert are usually smaller and shallow.
The total area of the lakes is 16,003 km. The 83.7% of the total lakes number are the small lakes with surface area less than 0.1 km (5.6% of the total area). There are 3,060 lakes with surface area 0.1 km and more.
Rank | Name | Mongolian name |
Aimag | Elevation, m |
Area, km |
Maximum length, km |
Average width, km |
Maximum width, km |
Average depth, m |
Maximum depth, m |
Volume, km |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Uvs Lake | Увс нуур | Uvs | 759 | 3,350 | 84 | 40 | 79 | 11.9 | 20 | 39.6 |
2 | Khövsgöl Lake | Хөвсгөл нуур | Khövsgöl | 1,645 | 2,760 | 136 | 20.8 | 36.5 | 137.9 | 262 | 380.7 |
3 | Khar-Us Lake | Хар-Ус нуур | Khovd | 1,157 | 1,578 | 72.2 | 26 | 27 | 2.2 | 4.5 | 3.432 |
4 | Khyargas Lake | Хяргас нуур | Uvs | 1,028.5 | 1,407 | 75 | 19 | 31 | 46.9 | 80 | 66.034 |
5 | Buir Lake | Буйр нуур | Dornod | 581 | 615 | 40 | 15 | 21 | 6.5 | 10.2 | 3.784 |
6 | Khar Lake (Khovd) | Хар нуур | Khovd | 1,132 | 575 | 37 | 16 | 24 | 4.2 | 7 | 2.422 |
7 | Dörgön Lake | Дөргөн нуур | Khovd | 1,132 | 305 | 24 | 13 | 17 | 14.3 | 27 | 4.367 |
8 | Achit Lake | Ачит нуур | Uvs, Khovd | 1,435 | 297 | 24 | 12 | 18 | 2.2 | 5 | 0.665 |
9 | Böön Tsagaan Lake | Бөөн Цагаан нуур | Bayankhongor | 1,312 | 252 | 24 | 11 | 19 | 9.3 | 16 | 2.355 |
10 | Üüreg Lake | Үүрэг нуур | Uvs | 1,425 | 239 | 20 | 12 | 18 | 26.9 | 42 | 6.419 |
11 | Telmen Lake | Тэлмэн нуур | Zavkhan | 1,789 | 194 | 28 | 12 | 16 | 13.8 | 27 | 2.671 |
12 | Ulaan Lake | Улаан нуур | Ömnögovi | 1,008 | 175 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
13 | Sangiin Dalai Lake | Сангийн Далай нуур | Khövsgöl, Zavkhan | 1,888 | 165 | 32 | 5 | 13 | 12.1 | 30 | 1.995 |
14 | Airag Lake | Айраг нуур | Uvs | 1,030 | 143 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 5.7 | 10 | 0.820 |
15 | Orog Lake | Орог нуур | Bayankhongor | 1,217 | 140 | 31.8 | 2 | 7.7 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.420 |
16 | Yakhi Lake | Яхь нуур | Dornod | 670 | 97 | 20.4 | 4.2 | 11.9 | 2.3 | 4 | 0.223 |
17 | Khar Lake (Zavkhan) | Хар нуур | Zavkhan | 1,980 | 84.5 | 29.3 | 3.5 | 6.6 | 19.6 | 47 | 1.654 |
18 | Tolbo Lake | Толбо нуур | Bayan-Ölgii | 2,080 | 84 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 6.8 | 12 | 0.571 |
19 | Khurgan Lake | Хурган нуур | Bayan-Ölgii | 2,072 | 71 | 23.3 | 3 | 6 | 7.8 | 28 | 0.537 |
20 | Dayan Lake | Даян нуур | Bayan-Ölgii | 2,232 | 67 | 18 | 4 | 9 | 2.3 | 4 | 0.157 |
21 | Dood Tsagaan Nuur | Доод Цагаан нуур | Khövsgöl | 1,538 | 64 | 18 | 4 | 7 | 6.0 | 14 | 0.384 |
22 | Bayan Lake | Баян нуур | Zavkhan | 1,491 | 64 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 21.7 | 50 | 1.390 |
23 | Khar-Us Lake (Uvs) | Хар-Ус нуур | Uvs | 1,574 | 63 | 19 | 5 | 7.8 | 5.2 | 8.2 | 0.3265 |
24 | Oigon Lake | Ойгон нуур | Zavkhan | 1,664 | 61 | 18 | 3 | 8 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.207 |
25 | Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake | Тэрхийн Цагаан нуур | Arkhangai | 2,060 | 61 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6.0 | 20 | 0.369 |
26 | Khoton Lake | Хотон нуур | Bayan-Ölgii | 2,084 | 50 | 22 | 2.3 | 4 | 26.8 | 58 | 1.341 |
References
Geography of Mongolia related topics | |
---|---|
Landforms | |
Subdivisions | |
Environment of Mongolia | |
Protected areas of Mongolia |