Uvs Nuur

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Uvs Nuur Lake (in Mongolian language Увс Нуур where "Нуур" is meaning "lake") is the largest lake in Mongolia, which, at 753 m above sea level, covers an area of 3,350 km². Its northeastern part is situated in the Tuva Republic of the Russian Federation. The largest settlement on the shore is Ulaangom. This shallow and very saline body of water is the only remainder of a huge saline sea which covered a much larger area several thousand years ago.

The Uvs Nuur Lake is the centre of the Uvs Nuur Basin, which covers an area of 700,000 km² and represents one of the best-preserved natural steppe landscapes of Eurasia. Apart from the Uvs Nuur, the basin comprises several smaller lakes, notably the Ureg Nuur Lake, which lies at 1,450 m above sea level. As these lakes lie to the north of other inland seas of Central Asia, they are of key importance for waterfowl migration.

Since the basin spans the geoclimatic boundary between Siberia and Central Asia, temperatures may vary from −58°C in winter to 47°C in summer. Despite its harsh climate, the basin is home to 173 bird species and 41 mammal species, including the globally endangered snow leopard, argali, and Asiatic ibex.

In 2001, the UNESCO listed the Uvs Nuur Basin as a natural World Heritage Site. This transboundary patrimony is one of the largest sites inscribed in the World Heritage List to date.

[edit] References

• UNESCO evaluation of the property