Among lakes of the world Lake Baikal is at the first place on depth. On the Earth only 6 lakes have the depth more than 500 m. The greatest mark of depth in the southern hollow of Baikal is 1430 m, in the middle - 1637 m, in the northern - 920 m. The bottom of the lake lies 1,285 m below sea level, and is the deepest continental rift on the earth (12977 m). For reference, the deepest point in the Marianas Trench in the Western Pacific Ocean is 11,021 m

Geologists believe that the Baikal has already been in existence in late Palaeogene. Its origination started not less than 25-30 million years ago. In contrast the second oldest lake in China is only 5 million years old and Lake Tahoe is a mere 10,000 years old. Scientists are still debating about the lake's origin. Some are trying to prove that it emerged as a result of tectonic processes of orogenesis, while others consider it as having been formed as a result of the earth's crust gradually subsiding. So far nobody has been proved right point of view.

Baikal is in itself the only well of the planet, holding up to 20% of all the world`s unfrozen fresh water (up to 80% of all the fresh water in the Russian federation). In Baikal there are 23.6 thousand cubic milliliters of water, and Baikal water is exceptionally pure. The lake acts as a powerful generator and biofilter producing this water.

Lake Baikal is one of the richest out of all the lakes on the planet. According to the latest data Baikal holds 2570 types and subtypes of animals out of which a minimum 56% are endemic (O.A. Timoshkin);More than 2630 types and varieties of animals (1550) and plants (1085), found up nowadays in the lake, almost 2/3 are endemic, have appeared in the lake and are nowhere else to be found on the planet (B.B. Takhteev).

The Siberian inland sea has played a vital role in the historical past of peoples of Asia. According to the archeologists, at different times here many tribes and ethnic groups of different cultures have lived. There are Hunnu, Turks and Mongolian tribes, the ancient Korean, American Indians etc. Up to this day on Lake Baikal there are three major ethnic groups: Evenks, Buryats and Russians. But the ancient culture of Evenk and Buryat people with their holy attitude to the nature, traditional shamanism and unique spiritual songs used to be the dominant at the lake for many centuries until Russian colonization in 17th century. Simply said, centuries of independent life in wild nature have made Siberian Russians reliable, strong, traditional, and nature-respecting. These people differ from central Russians and are respected much in Russia.