Van Lake

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It is a saline lake of volcanic origin with no outlet, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. The lake is 120 km long, 80 km wide and 457 meters deep. It has an area of 3,755 km² and is located 1719 meters above sea level.

The outlet of Lake Van was blocked at some time during the pleistocene, when lava flows from Nemrut volcano blocked westward outlet towards the Mush Plain. Now dormant Nemrut Dagi is close to the western shore of the lake and another dormant stratovolcano Suphan Dagi dominates the northern side of the lake.

Lake Van's waters are strongly alkaline and rich in sodium carbonate and other salts which are extracted by evaporation and used as detergents. Pearl Mullet (inci kefali), a species of herring caught during the spring floods, spawns near the mouths of streams feeding the lake and is the only fish that can survive in the brackish waters.

The lake is surrounded by fruit and grain-growing agricultural areas.