Lake Peipus
Lake Peipus is the largest trans-boundary lake in Europe, lying on the international border between Estonia and Russia.
| Lake Peipus | |
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Landsat satellite photo | |
Lake Peipus Location within Europe Lake Peipus Location within Baltic Sea region Lake Peipus Location within European Russia | |
| Location | Estonia, Russia |
| Coordinates | 58°41′N 27°29′E |
| Primary inflows | Velikaya, Emajõgi |
| Primary outflows | Narva |
| Catchment area | 47,800 km2 (18,500 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Estonia, Latvia, and Russia |
| Surface area | 3,555 km2 (1,373 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 7.1 m (23 ft) |
| Max. depth | 15.3 m (50 ft) |
| Water volume | 25 km3 (6.0 cu mi) |
| Shore length1 | 520 km (320 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Islands | Kamenka, Kolpina, Piirissaar |
| Settlements | Kallaste, Mustvee |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The lake is the fifth-largest in Europe after Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega (in Russia), Lake Vänern (in Sweden), and Lake Saimaa (in Finland).
The lake is a remnant of water regularly collecting at the foot of large, perennial arctic ice sheets during recent ice ages. It covers 3,555 km2 (1,373 sq mi), and it has an average depth of 7.1 m (23 ft), the deepest point being 15 m (49 ft). The lake has several islands and consists of three parts:
- Lake Peipus / Chudskoye (Estonian: Peipsi järv, Russian: Чудское озеро), the northern part of the lake, with an area of 2,611 km2 (1,008 sq mi) (73%)
- Lake Pihkva / Pskovskoye (Estonian: Pihkva järv, Russian: Псковское озеро), the southern part of the lake (area 708 km2 (273 sq mi) or 20%)
- Lake Lämmi / Tyoploye (Estonian: Lämmijärv, Russian: Тёплое озеро), the sound connecting the other two parts of the lake (area 236 km2 (91 sq mi) or 7%)
The lake is used for fishing and recreation, but suffered from environmental degradation from Soviet-era agriculture. Some 30 rivers and streams discharge into Lake Peipus, the two largest of which are the Velikaya and Emajõgi. The lake drains into the Gulf of Finland via the Narva River.
On 5 April 1242, the frozen lake was the site of the Battle on the Ice (also known as the Battle of Lake Peipus) between the armies of the Novgorod Republic and the Teutonic Order.