What is Lake Sevan?
[[File:-artanish mountain near Sevan Lake S-N 04.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Lake Sevan]] [[File:Sevan aerial.jpg|thumb]] '''Lake Sevan''' ([[Armenian language|Armenian]]: Սևանա լիճ, <small>romanized:</small> ''Sevana lich'') is a large [[lake]] in [[Armenia]]. It is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the [[Caucasus region]]. Sevan is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude ([[Alpine tundra|alpine]]) lakes in [[Eurasia]]. The lake is in [[Gegharkunik Province]]. It is {{Convert|1900|m|ft}} above [[sea level]]. The surface area of the [[Basin (geology)|basin]] of lake is about {{Convert|5000|km2}}. It covers about one sixth of Armenia's total area. The lake itself is {{Cvt|1241|km2}}. Its [[volume]] is {{Cvt|32.8|km3}}. Sevan is fed by 28 rivers and streams. Only 10% of the water that enters the lake is drained by the [[Hrazdan River]]. The remaining 90% [[Evaporation|evaporates]]. The lake is the source of about 90% of the [[fish]] and 80% of the [[crayfish]] caught in Armenia. Sevan is very important to the [[economy]] and [[culture]] of the area. The only large [[island]] (now a [[peninsula]]) is home to a [[Middle Ages|medieval]] [[monastery]]. Sevan was used for [[irrigation]] of the [[Ararat plain]] and creating [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric power]] during the [[Soviet Union|Soviet period]]. This causes the level of water to decrease by around {{Cvt|20|m}}. Its volume was reduced by more than 40%. Later two [[Tunnel|tunnels]] were built to move water from highland rivers. This stopped the decrease and its level began rising. Before people begane changing the lake's [[ecosystem]], the lake was at an [[altitude]] of 1,916 m (6,286 ft) above sea level, 95 m (312 ft) deep, covered an area of 1,416 km<sup>2</sup> (547 sq mi) (5% of Armenia's entire area), and had a volume of 58.5 km<sup>3</sup> (14.0 cu mi). == History == Sevan was one of the three great lakes of the historical [[Safavid Empire]]. These three lakes were called the Seas of Armenia. Sevan is the only one within the modern day Repub