Tengiz Lake

Lake Tengiz is a large, shallow salt lake in the central Kazakh steppe. The Nura and Kulanotpes rivers bring water to its enclosed basin, and winding channels connect it with the freshwater lakes and marshes of Korgalzhyn to the east. Its islands and saline shallows are nesting grounds for flamingos and a haven for migrating waterbirds. The lake's level fluctuates, exposing pale margins when the water retreats.