| NAME | Location | Area in Square Miles | Mean Elevation in Feet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Sea | Asia and Europe | 170,000 | Sea-level | |
| Caspian Sea | Asia | 170,000 | 90 | below sea-level |
| Sea of Aral | Asia | 26,160 | 157 | above sea-level |
| Balkash | Asia | 7,135 | 779 | above sea-level |
| Maracaibo | South America | 6,315 | 0 | above sea-level |
| Eyre | Australia | 3,600 | 70 | above sea-level |
| Titicaca (slightly saline) | South America | 3,200 | 12,506 | above sea-level |
| Issik-kul | Asia | 2,250 | 5,300 | above sea-level |
| Great Salt Lake | North America | 2,177 | 4,218 | above sea-level |
| Koko-nor | Asia | 2,040 | 9,970 | above sea-level |
| Urumiah | Asia | 1,795 | 4,100 | above sea-level |
| Van | Asia | 1,400 | 5,200 | above sea-level |
| Dead Sea | Asia | 444 | 1,290 | below sea-level |
| Ngami (nearly dried up) | Africa | 297 | 2,919 | above sea-level |
Relative Size of Lakes of the Eastern Hemisphere
[Large illustration] (371 kB)
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PRINCIPAL FRESH-WATER LAKES OF THE WORLD
Africa. The great plateau lakes are typical of the continent. The Victoria Nyanza and Albert Nyanza, feeding the White Nile; Tanganyika, whose outlet is unknown; Tzana, at the head of the Blue Nile; and Lake Nyassa, in the Zambezi basin, all rest on the high plateaus of Central Africa. Lake Tchad alone, among large African lakes, is surrounded by low plains.
Waterfalls and Rapids. The variations in the slope of a river-bed, arising from unequal erosion, or from the original irregularities in the surface, give rise to rapids and falls.
The first occur where an increased slope causes the stream to flow with more than its average velocity. The second are caused by nearly perpendicular rocky walls, down which the foaming water descends in picturesque cascades, or imposing cataracts.