Lake Tengiz

Tengiz Lake
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2008
Tengiz Lake
Coordinates	50°26′23″N 68°54′0″E
Type	Salt lake
Basin countries	Kazakhstan
Surface area	1,382 km2 (534 sq mi)
Average depth	2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Max. depth	6.7 m (22 ft)
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Kourgaldzhin and Tengiz Lakes
Designated	11 October 1976
Reference no.	107

Tengiz Lake (Kazakh: Теңіз көлі, Teńiz kóli; Russian: Тенгиз) is a saline lake in north-central part of Kazakhstan. Its eastern shore is deeply indented and includes the Tengizi Islands.

Lake Tengiz is an important wetland site for birds. It is a part of a Ramsar wetland site of international importance, the Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Lake System. 318 species of birds have been recorded at Lake Tengiz, 22 of which are endangered. It is the most northerly nesting site for the Greater flamingo; in the years 2006-2011 around 45 thousand members of that species were noted. In 2015, however, the number dropped to less than 15 thousand. The lake is part of the Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve, for which it was nominated in 2008 together with the Naurzum Nature Reserve as the first natural UNESCO World Heritage site in Kazakhstan (Saryarka — Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan).

On October 16, 1976, the Soviet space ship Soyuz 23 unintentionally splashed down into the northern part of the lake, which was frozen, crashing through the ice. The crew was saved thanks to a very difficult but successful rescue operation.

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  Tengiz Lake with a relative high level (1998-09-15).
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  Tengiz Lake with a relative low level (2011-09-03), north-east part and lake margins dried up.