Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid (Macedonian: Охридско Езеро Ohridsko Ezero [ˈɔxridzkɔ ˈɛzɛrɔ], [liˈcɛni i ˈɔhrit], also called Liqeni i Pogradecit;[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]) is a lake on the border between the southwestern part of North Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes. It has an unique ecosystem of worldwide importance, with more than 200 endemic species.[9] It is the second-biggest lake on the Balkans.
| Lake Ohrid | |
|---|---|
 Lake Ohrid as seen from Ohrid, North Macedonia | |
  Lake Ohrid  Lake Ohrid  Lake Ohrid  Lake Ohrid | |
 Map of the Ohrid Basin showing major hydrological and geological features | |
| Location | North Macedonia–Albania border |
| Coordinates | 41°2′N 20°43′E / 41.033°N 20.717°E |
| Lake type | Ancient lake, Tectonic Lake |
| Primary inflows | Sateska River, Biljana's springs, underground link with Lake Prespa |
| Primary outflows | Black Drin River |
| Catchment area | 2,600 km2 (1,000 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | North Macedonia, Albania |
| Max. length | 36.4 km (22.6 mi) |
| Max. width | 16.8 km (10.4 mi) |
| Surface area | 388 km2 (150 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 155 m (509 ft) |
| Max. depth | 288 m (945 ft) |
| Water volume | 55.49 km3 (13.31 cu mi) |
| Residence time | 70 years |
| Shore length1 | 87.53 km (54.39 mi) North Macedonia: 56.02 km (34.81 mi); Albania: 31.51 km (19.58 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 693 m (2,274 ft) |
| Islands | none |
| Settlements | Ohrid, Struga (North Macedonia) Pogradec (Albania) |
 | |
| Official name | Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region |
| Type | Natural, Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iii, iv, vii |
| Designated | 1979 (3rd session) |
| Reference no. | 99 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Extensions | 1979, 2019 |
| Designated | 15 February 2021 |
| Reference no. | 2449[1] |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Most of the lake is part of North Macedonia, the rest belongs to Albania. The biggest cities on the shore are Ohrid and Struga, in North Macedonia, and Pogradec in Albania. Around 200.000 people live in the area around the lake.
World Heritage Sites
changeNorth Macedonia's side of Lake Ohrid was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979; this was extended to also include the cultural and historic area of Ohrid in 1980. In 2010, NASA named one of Titan's lakes after the lake.[10] In 2014, the Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Reserve between Albania and North Macedonia was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.[11] Albania's side of Lake Ohrid was also designated UNESCO world heritage status in 2019. North Macedonia's portion was designated as a protected Ramsar site in 2021, passing all nine criteria for proclamation.[12]
In Albania, the coastal portion of the lake holds Managed Nature Reserve status. In North Macedonia, a portion of the lakeside is part of the Galičica National Park.
Geography
change
Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes in the world. It has a maximum depth of 288 metres (945 ft) and mean depth of 155 m (509 ft), it is the deepest lake in the Balkans. It covers an area of 358 square kilometres (138 sq mi) and contains an estimated 55.4 cubic kilometres (45 million acre-feet) of water. The lake is 30.4 km (18.9 mi) long and 14.8 km (9.2 mi) wide . It has a shoreline of 87.53 km (54.39 mi).
64% of Lake Ohrid's shoreline and 69% of its surface area are in North Macedonia. 36% of the shoreline and 31% of its surface area are in Albania.
References
change- ↑ "Lake Ohrid". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ↑ "Pëllumb Gorica: Liqeri i Lasgush Poradeci | Lasgushit, parajsa e shpirtit tonë..." Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ↑ "Sondazhi: Liqeni i Pogradecit më i bukuri në Shqipëri". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ↑ "LIQENI I POGRADECIT". Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ↑ "LIQENI I POGRADECIT, DALLGËT KTHEHEN NË AKULL (FOTO)". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ↑ "Liqeni i Ohrit kjo perlë e natyrës". Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ↑ "Liqeni i Ohrit, syri dhe shpirti i Pogradecit". Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ↑ "Liqeni i Pogradecit, Albania Lexo më shumë në". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ↑ "Lake Ohrid; Invest in Macedonia – Agency for Foreign Investments of the Republic of Macedonia". InvestInMacedonia.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- ↑ "One of Titan lakes to be named Ohrid Lacus". MIA.com.mk. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- ↑ "Single View News - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization". www.UNESCO.org. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- ↑ Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (2021) "Ramsar Information Sheet: Lake Ohrid". Ramsar Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland.