Lake Ohrid

Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid as seen from Ohrid, North Macedonia
Location of the lake in Europe
Location of the lake in Europe
Lake Ohrid
Location of the lake in Europe
Location of the lake in Europe
Lake Ohrid
Location of the lake in Europe
Location of the lake in Europe
Lake Ohrid
Location of the lake in Europe
Location of the lake in Europe
Lake Ohrid
Map of the Ohrid Basin showing major hydrological and geological features
LocationNorth Macedonia–Albania border
Coordinates41°2′N 20°43′E / 41.033°N 20.717°E / 41.033; 20.717
Lake typeAncient lake, Tectonic Lake
Primary inflowsSateska River, Biljana's springs, underground link with Lake Prespa
Primary outflowsBlack Drin River
Catchment area2,600 km2 (1,000 sq mi)
Basin countriesNorth Macedonia, Albania
Max. length36.4 km (22.6 mi)
Max. width16.8 km (10.4 mi)
Surface area388 km2 (150 sq mi)
Average depth155 m (509 ft)
Max. depth288 m (945 ft)
Water volume55.49 km3 (13.31 cu mi)
Residence time70 years
Shore length187.53 km (54.39 mi)
North Macedonia: 56.02 km (34.81 mi);
Albania: 31.51 km (19.58 mi)
Surface elevation693 m (2,274 ft)
Islandsnone
SettlementsOhrid, Struga (North Macedonia)
Pogradec (Albania)
Official nameNatural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region
TypeNatural, Cultural
Criteriai, iii, iv, vii
Designated1979 (3rd session)
Reference no.99
RegionEurope and North America
Extensions1979, 2019
Designated15 February 2021
Reference no.2449
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Ohrid (Macedonian: Охридско Езеро Ohridsko Ezero [ˈɔxridzkɔ ˈɛzɛrɔ], [liˈcɛni i ˈɔhrit], also called Liqeni i Pogradecit;) 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. It is the second-biggest lake on the Balkans.

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

North 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. In 2014, the Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Reserve between Albania and North Macedonia was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves. 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.

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

Topographic map with Lake Ohrid on the left

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

  1. ↑ "Lake Ohrid". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "Pëllumb Gorica: Liqeri i Lasgush Poradeci | Lasgushit, parajsa e shpirtit tonë..." Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  3. ↑ "Sondazhi: Liqeni i Pogradecit më i bukuri në Shqipëri". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "LIQENI I POGRADECIT". Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "LIQENI I POGRADECIT, DALLGËT KTHEHEN NË AKULL (FOTO)". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Liqeni i Ohrit kjo perlë e natyrës". Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "Liqeni i Ohrit, syri dhe shpirti i Pogradecit". Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Liqeni i Pogradecit, Albania Lexo më shumë në". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Lake Ohrid; Invest in Macedonia – Agency for Foreign Investments of the Republic of Macedonia". InvestInMacedonia.com. Retrieved 3 June 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ↑ "One of Titan lakes to be named Ohrid Lacus". MIA.com.mk. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  11. ↑ "Single View News - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization". www.UNESCO.org. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  12. ↑ Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (2021) "Ramsar Information Sheet: Lake Ohrid".  Ramsar Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland.