What is Issyk-Kul?
{{Infobox lake |name = Issyk-Kul |image = Issyk-Kulmeer.jpg |caption = Southern shore of Issyk-Kul, 2005 |image_bathymetry = Issyk Kul.jpg |caption_bathymetry = Issyk-Kul from space, September 1992 |coords = {{Coord|42|25|N|77|15|E|type:waterbody_region:KG_scale:1500000|display=inline,title}} |lake_type = [[Ancient lake]], [[Endorheic]]<br />Mountain lake<br />[[Monomictic]] |inflow = [[Glacier]]s |outflow = [[Evaporation]] |catchment = {{convert|15844|km2|sqmi}} |basin_countries = [[Kyrgyzstan]] |length = {{convert|178|km|mi}}<ref name=Savvaitova/> |width = {{convert|60.1|km|mi}}<ref name=Savvaitova/> |area = {{convert|6236|km2|sqmi}}<ref name=Savvaitova/> |depth = {{convert|278.4|m|ft}}<ref name=Savvaitova>{{citation |journal=International Journal of Salt Lake Research |date=December 1992 |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=21–46 |title=Lake Issyk-Kul, Kirgizia |first1=K. |last1=Savvaitova |first2=T. |last2=Petr |doi=10.1007/BF02904361 }}</ref> |max-depth = {{convert|668|m|ft}}<ref name=Savvaitova/><ref name=Hofer_2002/> |volume = {{convert|1,736|km3|mi3}}<ref name=Kodayev_1973>{{citation |last1=Kodayev |first1=G.V. |title=Морфометрия озера Иссык-Куль |trans-title=Morphometry of Lake Issyk-Kul |language=ru |journal=News of the All-Union Geographic Society (Izvestiya VGO) |year=1973 }}</ref><ref name=Hofer_2002/> |shore = {{convert|669|km|mi}}<ref name=Savvaitova/> |elevation = {{convert|1607|m|ft}}<ref name=Savvaitova/> |islands = |cities = [[Balykchy]], [[Cholpon-Ata]], [[Karakol]] |residence_time = ~330 years<ref name=Hofer_2002>{{citation |journal=Limnology and Oceanography |date=11 July 2002 |issue=47 |volume=4 |pages=1210–1216 |title=Rapid deep-water renewal in Lake Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan) indicated by transient tracers |first1=Markus |last1=Hofer |first2=Frank |last2=Peeters |firs