However, there's more to Lake Baikal than just its size. It is the deepest lake on Earth, formed by a continental rift estimated to be 25 to 30 million years old, reaching a maximum depth of 1,642m.

But there is more to Baikal than numbers. Carved out by a continental rift and estimated to be 25-30 million years old, Lake Baikal is the deepest lake on Earth, plunging to a maximum depth of 1,642m.

Siberia’s Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, as well as the largest body of freshwater on the planet, containing more freshwater than all five of North America’s Great Lakes combined.

Only 20 ancient lakes exist today, but Lake Baikal is the oldest. Scientists estimate its age at 25 million years, far older than North America's Great Lakes, which are only 20,000 years old.