Irkutsk - The Capital of Eastern Siberia

Irkutsk, capital of Irkutsk region, S East Siberian Russia, at the confluence of the Angara and Irkut rivers. It is an industrial center, a port, the site of a hydroelectric dam, and a major stop on the Trans-Siberian RR. It is 5185 km by rail from Moscow. The town proper lies on the right bank of the Angara, a tributary of the Yenisei, 45 m. below its outflow from Lake Baikal, and on the opposite bank is the Glaskovsk suburb. The river, which has a breadth of 1900 ft., is crossed by a flying bridge. The Irkut, from which the town takes its name, is a small river which joins the Angara directly opposite the town, the main portion of which is separated from the monastery, the castle, the port and the suburbs by another confluent, the Ida or Ushakovka. Manufactures include aircraft, automobiles, machine tools, textiles, chemicals, food products, and metals. Founded as a Cossack fortress in 1654, Irkutsk became the capital of Eastern Siberia in 1822. In the city are a university and several agricultural, medical, and technical schools. The Irkutsk dam has raised the level of nearby Lake Baykal by 20 ft (6 m).

Lake Baikal - World's Reserves of Fresh Water

Baykal or Baikal, lake, 12,160 sq mi (31,494 sq km), SE Siberian Russia. It is the largest freshwater lake of Eurasia, with a width up to 50 mi (80 km) and a length of c.395 mi (640 km). Its maximum depth is 5,714 ft (1,742 m), making Baykal the world's deepest lake. Lake Baykal is navigable and is used to float timber. Surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery, it is rich in fish and other aquatic life, including such unusual species as the world's only freshwater seal. The Trans-Siberian RR skirts the lake's southern shores. Between Lake Baykal and the upper Amur River lies the region known as Zabaikalye (Transbaikalie).

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