Karakul lake (GBAO)

Kara-Kul, Karakul or Qaraqul (Tajik: Қарoкул, black lake) is an endorheic lake in the northern part of the Tajik Pamir. The 380 km2 lake is 3 914 m above sea level, and because of its endoreism, its salinity prevents virtually any form of life from developing except at the mouths of rivers. A peninsula from the south separates the lake into two basins: a shallow basin (13 to 19 m) and a second basin to the west with a depth of up to 238 m. The lake was formed by the impact of a meteorite about 25 million years ago, leaving a huge crater.