What is Lake Balqash?
{{Infobox body of water |name=Lake Balkhash <br /> Балқаш Көлі <br />Озеро Балхаш |image=STS039-085-00E_Lake_Balkhash,_Kazakhstan_April_1991.jpg |caption=View from Space, April 1991 |image_bathymetry=Lakebalkhashbasinmap.png |caption_bathymetry=Map of the Lake Balkhash drainage basin |location=Kazakhstan |coords={{coord|46|10|N|74|20|E |type:waterbody_region:KZ_scale:2500000 |display=inline,title}}|type=[[Endorheic]], [[Salinity|Saline]] |inflow=[[Ili River|Ili]], [[Karatal River|Karatal]], [[Aksu River (Kazakhstan)|Aksu]], [[Lepsy River|Lepsy]], [[Byan River|Byan]], [[Kapal River|Kapal]], [[Koksu River|Koksu]] rivers |outflow=''[[evaporation]]'' |catchment= |basin_countries={{flag|Kazakhstan}} 85%<br />{{flag|China}} 15% |length={{convert|605|km|abbr=on}}|width=East {{convert|19|km|abbr=on}} <br />West {{convert|74|km|abbr=on}} |area={{convert|16400|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} |depth={{convert|5.8|m|ft|abbr=on}}|max-depth={{convert|26|m|ft|abbr=on}} |volume={{convert|106|cumi|km3|abbr=on}}|residence_time=|shore=|elevation={{convert|341.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} |islands=43 |cities=[[Balkhash (city)|Balkhash]], [[Priozersk]] ([[:en:Priozersk, Kazakhstan|en]]), [[Saryshaghan]] ([[:en:Saryshaghan|en]]), [[Shashubai]] |frozen=November to March}} '''[[Lake]] Balkhash''' ({{Lang-kk|Балқаш Көлі}}, {{lang|kk-Latn|Balqash kóli}}) is located in [[Qazaqstan|Kazakhstan]]. It is one of the largest lakes in [[Asia]] and [[15th largest in the world]] ([[:en:List of lakes by area|en]]).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-10-09|title=Lake Balkhash|url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91230/lake-balkhash|access-date=2023-11-18|website=earthobservatory.nasa.gov|publisher=NASA Earth Observatory|language=English}}</ref> It belongs to a [[Central Asia]]n [[Endorheic basin|endorheic]] basin shared by Kazakhstan, [[People's Republic of China|China]], and [[Kyrgyzstan]]. Water moves from the basin to Balqash via seven [[river]]s. The most important one is the [[Ili River]]. Water in the Ili River comes from melted snow from the mountains of China's [[Xin