Here at SafarisAfricana.com, you can read all about the 10 largest lakes in the world. The serenity and calmness of the world’s largest lakes will definitely amaze you! What are you waiting for? Keep your eyes free from all that comes to take your focus elsewhere, just drink the lakes with your eyes, here with us…
Before diving straight into the list of the world’s largest lakes, make sure you are aware of the following facts. Don’t worry, we are here to make things easier for you.
What’s a lake by the way?
According to Wikipedia, a lake is an area that is bigger than that of a pond and it is filled with water. It is generally localized in a basin and surrounded by landmass. In most of the cases, a river serves the lake as a source of water. In other cases, rainfall and melting ice supply water to the lakes.
Don’t confuse it with lagoons. Lagoons are located in the coastal parts of the ocean. They are larger and deeper than ponds.
Top 5 Features of a Lake
In hydrology (the scientific study of the water bodies on Earth), a lake comprises of the following five characteristics:
- A lake fills one or several basins connected by straits.
- A lake has the same water level in all its parts.
- A lake is not connected with a sea.
- A lake is connected with one or several rivers nearby.
- A lake is generally bigger than a pond or similar water bodies.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the list of the world’s largest lakes. You can know all about the 10 largest lakes in the world below.
10 Largest Lakes in the World
Something to remind you here. In our list of the world’s largest lakes, some data may vary a little bit. Don’t worry it’s not our ignorance, for sure!
Actually, the area of the lakes varies over time due to several factors. The area of the world’s largest lakes fluctuates due to environmental changes from year to year.
Here ends the world of information, and begins the beauty of the largest lakes in the world…
10. Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake
- Area (km²): 27,000
- Length (km): 480
- Countries touching the shore: Canada
Great Slave Lake is the 10th largest lake in the world. It is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada after Great Bear Lake. Great Slave Lake is also the deepest lake in North America. Its depth is 614 meters. In the world, it is the 12th largest lake by volume of water.
Are you aware of Ice roads? Here at Great Slave Lake, you can find an ice road known as Dettah ice road. Want to know more about this lake? Watch the documentary, Ice Lake Rebels aired on Animal Planet from 2014 to 2016. It will give you a better idea of the lake.
9. Malawi
Lake Malawi
- Area (km²): 29,500
- Length (km): 579
- Countries touching the shore: Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania
Lake Malawi is the 9th largest lake in the world. It is popular by the name Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique.
It is the 4th largest freshwater lake in the world by volume. It is also the third-largest and second deepest lake in Africa.
Do you know this lake was first discovered by a Portuguese? He was a trader from Portugal and visited the lake in 1846. He was the first European to do that.
Want to visit Lake Malawi? You can read about Malawi Safari Tour Companies here.
8. Great Bear Lake
Great Bear Lake
- Area (km²): 31,000
- Length (km): 373
- Countries touching the shore: Canada
Great Bear Lake is the 8th largest lake in the world. It is entirely the largest lake in Canada. It is also the fourth largest lake in North America.
The name of the lake has come from the Chipewyan language word satudene, meaning “grizzly bear water people.” The people of Sahtu Dene are named after the lake.
Want to know more about the African Tribes? You can read all about 10 Fascinating African Tribes here.
7. Baikal
Lake Baikal
- Area (km²): 31,500
- Length (km): 636
- Countries touching the shore: Russia
Lake Baikal is the 7th largest lake in the world and the largest freshwater lake by volume. It contains 22-23% of the world’s fresh surface water. It contains more water than all of the North American Great Lakes combined! (Not a joke!)
Baikal is also the deepest lake on the planet and it is considered among the clearest lakes in the world.
UNESCO declared this lake a World Heritage Site in 1996. Yes, it is the most popular lake on the planet. Never miss the chance of visiting Lake Baikal ever in your life!
6. Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
- Area (km²): 32,600
- Length (km): 676
- Countries touching the shore: Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo
Lake Tanganyika is the 6th largest lake in the world. It is an African Great Lake. Lake Tanganyika of Africa has several superlatives associated with its name.
It is the second-largest lake by volume on the planet, the second-oldest freshwater lake, and the second-deepest. But, in all cases, it is after Siberian Lake Baikal. Whatsoever, it’s a gem of Africa!
Never miss this lake while planning for your next Safari!
Fascinated about visiting Lake Tanganyika? You can read all about The 12 Most Incredible Places To Dive In Africa here.
You can Discover The 10 Highest Mountains In Africa here.
5. Michigan
Lake Michigan
- Area (km²): 58,000
- Length (km): 494
- Countries touching the shore: United States
Lake Michigan is the 5th largest lake in the world. It is one of the five Great Lakes of North America.
Lake Michigan is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume of water and the third-largest by surface area. It is just after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Lake Michigan is the only lake among the Great Lakes which is located entirely in the United States. Lake Michigan derives its name from the Ojibwe word michi-gami. It means “great water”.
The shores of Lake Michigan touch numerous state, local parks, and national parks.
Do you know there are many national parks in Africa too? You can read all about Africa’s 50 Largest National Parks here.
4. Huron
Lake Huron
- Area (km²): 59,600
- Length (km): 332
- Countries touching the shore: Canada, United States
Lake Huron is the 4th largest lake in the world. It is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. The name of the lake comes from the local people living in the region in the past. French explorers named them Huron people and the lake is also called after this name.
It is the third-largest freshwater lake on the planet. The northern parts of Lake Huron include the North Channel and Georgian Bay.
3. Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is the third-largest lake in the world, another one from Africa. It is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named after Queen Victoria, monarch of England in the 19th century.
Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa. It is also the world’s largest tropical lake and the world’s second-largest freshwater lake after Lake Superior.
You can find many kinds of animals in the region of Lake Victoria. Among these are the hippopotamus, African clawless otter, spotted-necked otter, marsh mongoose, sitatunga, bohor reedbuck, cane rats, and giant otter shrew.
It also has a large population of Nile crocodiles, African helmeted turtles, and different mud turtles inhabiting there. You can find different species of fish living in the lake too!
You can read about all the Epic African Animals here.
Hippo Milk – Is It Really Pink? Click the link to know more about it.
You can read about the Smartest Animals In The World here.
2. Superior
Lake Superior
- Area (km²): 82,100
- Length (km): 616
- Countries touching the shore: Canada, United States
Lake Superior is the second-largest lake in the world. It is the largest of the Great Lakes in North America and the world’s largest freshwater lake. Lake Superior is the third-largest freshwater lake by volume on the planet.
Do you know? Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote about Lake Superior in his poem The Song of Hiawatha. He used the local name of the lake in his poem. The word is gichi-gami. It means “great sea”.
Have you heard about the Great Lakes Circle Tour? It is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes of North America. If you are a lover of nature, you should not miss the Great Lakes of North America. And, never miss the Circle Tour!
1. The Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea from space
- Area (km²): 371,000
- Length (km): 1,199
- Countries touching the shore: Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iran
The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world. For its humongous size, it is also called a full-fledged sea. It is located between Europe and Asia, like the soul of a single body!
The ancient people living in its coastal areas saw the Caspian Sea as an ocean, most probably for its salty water and large size. However, the surface area of the Caspian Sea is 371,000 square kilometers and the volume is 78,200 cubic kilometers.
The Caspian Sea is believed to be named after the Hindu sage Rishi Kashyap. There are different theories to speculate on the origin of its name.
Thanks for staying with us this long. Hope you have enjoyed our list of 10 of the world’s largest lakes.
Interested in African rivers? You can read all about Most Epic African Rivers For Wildlife here.
Loved our list of 10 Largest Rivers In The World! You can read about The Longest Rivers In The World here.
Frequently asked questions about “world’s largest lakes”
What are the top 10 biggest lakes in the world?
The top 10 biggest lakes in the world are:
- Caspian Sea
- Lake Superior
- Lake Victoria
- Lake Huron
- Lake Michigan
- Lake Tanganyika
- Lake Baikal
- To know more…read our list of the top 10 largest lakes in the world
What are the 5 biggest lakes in the world?
The 5 biggest lakes in the world are:
- Caspian Sea
- Lake Superior
- Lake Victoria
- Lake Huron
- Lake Michigan
You can read more about the world’s largest lakes here.
Which is the largest fresh lake in the world?
The largest freshwater lake in the world is Lake Baikal. It is located in Siberia, Russia. It contains 22-23% of the fresh surface water in the world. It contains 23,615.39 cubic kilometers of freshwater and it contains more water than all of the North American Great Lakes combined.
Where are the 3 largest lakes in the world?
The 3, largest lakes in the world are:
- Caspian Sea (Siberia, Russia)
- Lake Superior (Canada, United States)
- Lake Victoria (Africa)
You can read more about the top 10 world’s largest lakes here.
And that’s our take on the world’s largest lakes. Have you visited any of these massive water bodies? Jon in and let us know in the comments section below!
