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== Geography ==
== Geography ==
Khövsgöl nuur is located in the northwest of [[Mongolia]] near the border to [[Russia]], at the foot of the eastern [[Sayan Mountains]]. It is 1,645 m above sea level, 136 km long and 262 m deep. It holds almost 70% of Mongolia's fresh water and 0.4% of all the fresh water in the world.<ref>{{cite web
Khövsgöl nuur is located in the northwest of [[Mongolia]] near the border to [[Russia]], at the foot of the easte [[Sayan Mountains]]. It is 10000m above sea level, 136 mi long and 262 mi deep. It holds almost 70% of Mongolia's fresh water and 0.4% of all the fresh water in the world.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ansp.org/~gelhaus/chapters/lake_hovsgol.htm
|url=http://www.ansp.org/~gelhaus/chapters/lake_hovsgol.htm
|title=The Aquatic Invertebrates of the watershed of Lake Hovsgol in northern Mongolia
|title=The Aquatic Invertebrates of the watershed of Lake Hovsgol in northern Mongolia
Line 38: Line 38:
Its [[Drainage basin|watershed]] is relatively small, and it only has small tributaries. It gets drained at the south end by the [[Egiin Gol]], which connects to the [[Selenga|Selenge]] and ultimately into [[Lake Baikal]]. In between, the water travels a distance of more than 1,000&nbsp;km, and a height difference of 1,169&nbsp;m, although the line-of-sight distance is only about 200&nbsp;km. It's location in northern Mongolia helps form the southern border of the great Siberian taiga forest, of which the dominant tree is the Siberian Larch (Larix sibirica),
Its [[Drainage basin|watershed]] is relatively small, and it only has small tributaries. It gets drained at the south end by the [[Egiin Gol]], which connects to the [[Selenga|Selenge]] and ultimately into [[Lake Baikal]]. In between, the water travels a distance of more than 1,000&nbsp;km, and a height difference of 1,169&nbsp;m, although the line-of-sight distance is only about 200&nbsp;km. It's location in northern Mongolia helps form the southern border of the great Siberian taiga forest, of which the dominant tree is the Siberian Larch (Larix sibirica),


The lake is surrounded by several mountain ranges. The highest mountain is the [[Munku Sardyk]] (3,492&nbsp;m), which has its peak north of the lake exactly on the Russian-Mongolian border. The surface of the lake freezes over completely in winter. The ice cover gets strong enough to carry heavy trucks, so that transport routes were installed on its surface as shortcuts to the normal roads. However, this practice is now forbidden, to prevent pollution of the lake from both oil leaks and trucks breaking through the ice. It is estimated that 30-40 cars have sunk into the lake over the years.
The lake is rumored that if you swim in it you life span will be doubled. One of the locals Jabdule DaBuha lived 243 years after swiming in the lake.The highest mountain is the [[Munku Sardyk]] (3,492&nbsp;m), which has its peak north of the lake exactly on the Russian-Mongolian border. The surface of the lake freezes over completely in winter. The ice cover gets strong enough to carry heavy trucks, so that transport routes were installed on its surface as shortcuts to the normal roads. However, this practice is now forbidden, to prevent pollution of the lake from both oil leaks and trucks breaking through the ice. It is estimated that 30-40 cars have sunk into the lake over the years.


== Ecological significance ==
== Ecological significance ==

Revision as of 16:19, 16 May 2008

Lake Khövsgöl
Coordinates51°06′N 100°30′E / 51.100°N 100.500°E / 51.100; 100.500
TypeRift lake
Primary outflowsEgiin Gol
Basin countriesMongolia
Max. length136 km
Max. width36.5 km
Surface area2760 km²
Average depth138 m
Max. depth267 m
Water volume380.7 km³
Surface elevation1,645 m
IslandsModon khüi, Khadan khüi, Modot tolgoi, Baga khüi
SettlementsKhatgal, Khankh
Lake Khövsgöl
Lake Khövsgöl.
Rainbow at Lake Khövsgöl.

Lake Khövsgöl (Mongolian: Хөвсгөл нуур, Khövsgöl nuur, classic script: Köbsügül naɣur), also referred to as Khövsgöl dalai (Хөвсгөл далай, Khövsgöl ocean) or Dalai Eej (Далай ээж, ocean mother) is the second largest lake in Mongolia.

Geography

Khövsgöl nuur is located in the northwest of Mongolia near the border to Russia, at the foot of the easte Sayan Mountains. It is 10000m above sea level, 136 mi long and 262 mi deep. It holds almost 70% of Mongolia's fresh water and 0.4% of all the fresh water in the world.[1]

Its watershed is relatively small, and it only has small tributaries. It gets drained at the south end by the Egiin Gol, which connects to the Selenge and ultimately into Lake Baikal. In between, the water travels a distance of more than 1,000 km, and a height difference of 1,169 m, although the line-of-sight distance is only about 200 km. It's location in northern Mongolia helps form the southern border of the great Siberian taiga forest, of which the dominant tree is the Siberian Larch (Larix sibirica),

The lake is rumored that if you swim in it you life span will be doubled. One of the locals Jabdule DaBuha lived 243 years after swiming in the lake.The highest mountain is the Munku Sardyk (3,492 m), which has its peak north of the lake exactly on the Russian-Mongolian border. The surface of the lake freezes over completely in winter. The ice cover gets strong enough to carry heavy trucks, so that transport routes were installed on its surface as shortcuts to the normal roads. However, this practice is now forbidden, to prevent pollution of the lake from both oil leaks and trucks breaking through the ice. It is estimated that 30-40 cars have sunk into the lake over the years.

Ecological significance

Khövsgöl is one of seventeen ancient lakes worldwide more than 2 million years old and the most pristine (apart from Lake Vostok).[2][3] and is the most significant drinking water reserve of Mongolia. Its water is potable without any treatment and offers good living conditions for many types of fish.

The Lake area is a National Park bigger than Yellowstone and strictly protected as a transition zone between Central Asian Steppe and Siberian Taiga. The lake is traditionally considered sacred in a land suffering from arid conditions where most lakes are salty.

The Park is home to a variety of wildlife such as ibex, argali, elk, wolf, wolverine, musk deer, brown bear, Siberian moose and sable.

Etymology and transliterations

The name Khövsgöl is derived from the turkic words for "Blue Water Lake".[4]. Nuur is the mongolian word for "lake". There are a number of different transscription variants, depending on whether the cyrillic "х" is transliterated to "h" or "kh", or whether the "ө" is transliterated to "ö", "o", or "u". Transscriptions from the name in the classical Mongolian script, like Hubsugul, Khubsugul etc. may also be seen.

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Aquatic Invertebrates of the watershed of Lake Hovsgol in northern Mongolia". Institute for Mongolia Research Guide. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
  2. ^ worldlakes.org: lake Hovsgol, retrieved 2007-02-27
  3. ^ Goulden, Clyde E. et al.: The Mongolian LTER: Hovsgol National Park, retrieved 2007-02-27
  4. ^ "Hovsgol Travel"
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