Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa
Lake Biwa
琵琶湖 (Japanese)
	Lake Biwa from space
	Lake Biwa Lake Biwa
Location	Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Coordinates	35°15′18″N 136°04′48″E / 35.25500°N 136.08000°E
Type	Ancient lake, tectonic, freshwater
Primary inflows	118 rivers
Primary outflows	Seta River
Catchment area	3,174 km2 (1,225 sq mi)
Basin countries	Japan
Max. length	63.49 km (39.45 mi)
Max. width	22.8 km (14.2 mi)
Surface area	670.3 km2 (258.8 sq mi)
Average depth	41 m (135 ft)
Max. depth	104 m (341 ft)
Water volume	27.5 km3 (6.6 cu mi)
Residence time	5.5 years
Shore length1	235.2 km (146.1 mi)
Surface elevation	85.6 m (281 ft)
Islands	Chikubu, Takeshima, Okishima (inhabited)
Settlements	Higashiōmi, Hikone, Kusatsu, Maibara, Moriyama, Nagahama, Ōmihachiman, Ōtsu, Takashima, Yasu
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Biwa-ko
Designated	June 10, 1993
Reference no.	617
	1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Biwa (琵琶湖, Biwa-ko) is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. It is located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto.^[3] Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old.^[1] It is estimated to be the 13th oldest lake in the world.^[4] Because of its proximity to the country's historical capital Kyoto, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Cite error: The named reference Tabata2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Biwa-ko". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
^ "Biwa, Lake". Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias.
^ "Ancient lakes of the world". Christopher M. Free. Archived from the original (website) on February 9, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.

[Tabata2016-1] Cite error: The named reference Tabata2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] "Biwa-ko". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved April 25, 2018.

[3] "Biwa, Lake". Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias.

[marine-rutgers-4] "Ancient lakes of the world". Christopher M. Free. Archived from the original (website) on February 9, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.

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[2]

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Lake Biwa
琵琶湖 (Japanese)
Lake Biwa from space
Lake Biwa Show map of Japan Lake Biwa Show map of Shiga Prefecture
Location	Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Coordinates	35°15′18″N 136°04′48″E / 35.25500°N 136.08000°E / 35.25500; 136.08000
Type	Ancient lake, tectonic, freshwater
Primary inflows	118 rivers
Primary outflows	Seta River
Catchment area	3,174 km² (1,225 sq mi)
Basin countries	Japan

Max. length	63.49 km (39.45 mi)
Max. width	22.8 km (14.2 mi)
Surface area	670.3 km² (258.8 sq mi)^[1]
Average depth	41 m (135 ft)
Max. depth	104 m (341 ft)^[1]
Water volume	27.5 km³ (6.6 cu mi)^[1]
Residence time	5.5 years
Shore length¹	235.2 km (146.1 mi)
Surface elevation	85.6 m (281 ft)

Islands	Chikubu, Takeshima, Okishima (inhabited)
Settlements	Higashiōmi, Hikone, Kusatsu, Maibara, Moriyama, Nagahama, Ōmihachiman, Ōtsu, Takashima, Yasu

Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Biwa-ko
Designated	June 10, 1993
Reference no.	617^[2]


¹ Shore length is not a well-defined measure.