List of lakes of Kazakhstan explained

Excluding the northernmost districts, Kazakhstan consists of endorheic basins, where rivers flow into one of the numerous lakes. The most important drainage system is known as Yedisu, meaning "seven rivers" in Turkic languages. Below is the list of the more important lakes, some of which are shared (Caspian Sea, Lake Aral, Lake Aike, etc.) with the neighbouring countries.

Lake name	Surface area	Region	Notes
Caspian Sea	371000km2	Atyrau Region, Mangystau Region	The Caspian Sea is the world's largest enclosed body of water.
Alakol	2650sqkm	Almaty Region	Bird breeding and nesting ground
Aral	17160sqkm		Shrinking owing to environmental problems^[1]
Aralsor	200sqkm		Pink lake
Ashchykol	74sqkm		Main lake of the Ashchykol Depression
	64.7sqkm	Aktobe Region
Azhibeksor			SW of Lake Tengiz^[2]
Balkhash	16996sqkm	Almaty Region, Karagandy Region, Jambyl Region
Balyktykol	9.2km2	Abai Region
Bartogay		Almaty Region	Reservoir on the Chilik River
Bolshoy Azhbulat		Pavlodar Region
Chagan			Artificial lake (Former nuclear test site)
Issyk	0.22sqkm	Almaty Region	Not to be confused with Issyk Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan
Jasybay	4sqkm	Pavlodar Region	One of the lakes of the Bayanaul Range
Karasor	154sqkm	Karaganda Region
Kayindi		Almaty Region
Kamyslybas	176sqkm
Kapchagay			also spelled Qapshaghay Bogeni Reservoir
Koksengirsor	46.3sqkm	North Kazakhstan Region	Has local economic importance
Kopa	14sqkm	Akmola Region
Markakol	455sqkm
Sasykkol	600sqkm	Almaty Region	Surface can reach 736sqkm
Shalkarteniz	1800sqkm	Aktobe Region
Shureksor	80sqkm	Pavlodar Region
Tengiz	1382sqkm	Akmola Region	Bird breeding and nesting ground
Toraigyr	0.88sqkm	Pavlodar Region
Tuzkol	13.5sqkm	Pavlodar Region	Salt lake in Bayanaul District
	305sqkm	North Kazakhstan Region
Zaysan	1810sqkm
Zerenda	11.9sqkm	Akmola Region
	74.5sqkm	Kyzylorda Region	Table salt mining site
	1sqkm	Almaty Region

See also

• Sor (geomorphology)

Notes and References

1. Kazakhstan government is trying to rescue the northern part of the lake
2. Web site: Äzhibeksor Köli. Mapcarta. 25 May 2017.