Lake Ohrid

Lake Ohrid (Macedonian: Охридско Езеро Ohridsko Ezero [ˈɔxridzkɔ ˈɛzɛrɔ], [liˈcɛni i ˈɔhrit], also called Liqeni i Pogradecit;^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]}) is a lake on the border between the southwestern part of North Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes. It has an unique ecosystem of worldwide importance, with more than 200 endemic species.^[9] It is the second-biggest lake on the Balkans.

Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid as seen from Ohrid, North Macedonia
Lake Ohrid Show map of Republic of North Macedonia Lake Ohrid Show map of Albania Lake Ohrid Show map of Balkans Lake Ohrid Show map of Europe
Map of the Ohrid Basin showing major hydrological and geological features
Location	North Macedonia–Albania border
Coordinates	41°2′N 20°43′E
Lake type	Ancient lake, Tectonic Lake
Primary inflows	Sateska River, Biljana's springs, underground link with Lake Prespa
Primary outflows	Black Drin River
Catchment area	2,600 km2 (1,000 sq mi)
Basin countries	North Macedonia, Albania
Max. length	36.4 km (22.6 mi)
Max. width	16.8 km (10.4 mi)
Surface area	388 km2 (150 sq mi)
Average depth	155 m (509 ft)
Max. depth	288 m (945 ft)
Water volume	55.49 km3 (13.31 cu mi)
Residence time	70 years
Shore length1	87.53 km (54.39 mi) North Macedonia: 56.02 km (34.81 mi); Albania: 31.51 km (19.58 mi)
Surface elevation	693 m (2,274 ft)
Islands	none
Settlements	Ohrid, Struga (North Macedonia) Pogradec (Albania)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region
Type	Natural, Cultural
Criteria	i, iii, iv, vii
Designated	1979 (3rd session)
Reference no.	99
Region	Europe and North America
Extensions	1979, 2019
Ramsar Wetland
Designated	15 February 2021
Reference no.	2449[1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Most of the lake is part of North Macedonia, the rest belongs to Albania. The biggest cities on the shore are Ohrid and Struga, in North Macedonia, and Pogradec in Albania. Around 200.000 people live in the area around the lake.

World Heritage Sites

North Macedonia's side of Lake Ohrid was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979; this was extended to also include the cultural and historic area of Ohrid in 1980. In 2010, NASA named one of Titan's lakes after the lake.^[10] In 2014, the Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Reserve between Albania and North Macedonia was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.^[11] Albania's side of Lake Ohrid was also designated UNESCO world heritage status in 2019. North Macedonia's portion was designated as a protected Ramsar site in 2021, passing all nine criteria for proclamation.^[12]

In Albania, the coastal portion of the lake holds Managed Nature Reserve status. In North Macedonia, a portion of the lakeside is part of the Galičica National Park.

Geography

Topographic map with Lake Ohrid on the left

Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes in the world. It has a maximum depth of 288 metres (945 ft) and mean depth of 155 m (509 ft), it is the deepest lake in the Balkans. It covers an area of 358 square kilometres (138 sq mi) and contains an estimated 55.4 cubic kilometres (45 million acre-feet) of water. The lake is 30.4 km (18.9 mi) long and 14.8 km (9.2 mi) wide . It has a shoreline of 87.53 km (54.39 mi).

64% of Lake Ohrid's shoreline and 69% of its surface area are in North Macedonia. 36% of the shoreline and 31% of its surface area are in Albania.