Lake Baikal, "The Pearl of Siberia"

"Located in south-central Siberia, not far from the Mongolian border and surrounded by mountains, forests and wild rivers, Baikal is an immense and breathtaking area of natural beauty. Although it's not the biggest lake in the world in size . . . it is the largest by volume. Nicknamed the Pearl of Siberia, Lake Baikal holds about 20% of the world's fresh surface water - more water than all of the North American Great Lakes combined . . . Lake Baikal is home to more than 2,000 species of plants and animals, two-thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world, including the Baikal omul fish and Baikal oil fish as well as the nerpa, one of the world's only freshwater species of seal. Bears, elk, lynx and other wildlife abound in the surrounding forests and mountains. Despite its listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lake Baikal continues to come under threat from industrial pollution, agricultural run-off and other environmental problems, including nearby mining activities and potential oil and gas exploration."