Lake Balkhash

A CLOSER LOOK

Wikidata records Lake Balkhash as lake in southeastern Kazakhstan.

STS039-085-00E Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan April 1991 The turquoise waters of Lake Balkhash can be seen in this northeast-looking, high-oblique photograph. The lake covers 6560 square miles (17 000 square kilometers), is nearly 350 miles (565 kilometers) long, but is only 45 miles (72 kilometers) at its maximum width. The average depth of Lake Balkhash is 20 feet (6 meters), but the lake reaches a maximum depth of 85 feet (26 meters) in its western half. Lake Balkhash extends from the Betpak Steppe in the west to the Kazakh Hills in the northeast. Visible in the photograph to the north of the lake is a vast undulating plain, and south-southeast of the lake are the Ili River and its delta. The