Lake Scutari
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lake Scutari | |
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Primary sources | Morača River |
Primary outflows | Buna/Bojana River |
Basin countries | Albania, Montenegro |
Surface area | 370 km² - 530 km² |
Surface elevation | 6 m |
Lake Skadar National Park | |
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IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
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Location: | Montenegro |
Coordinates: | |
Area: | 400 km² (40.000 ha) |
Established: | 1983 |
Lake Scutari (Albanian: Liqeni i Shkodrës, Montenegrin and Serbian: Скадарско језеро, Skadarsko jezero) is a lake shared by Montenegro and Albania, and is also the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula. It is named after the city of Shkodra (Skadar, Shkodër, İşkodra) in northern Albania, also known by the Italian name Scutari.
Its surface lies six metres above sea level, and can vary between 370 and 530 square kilometers, making it the largest lake in the Balkans. The lake is a cryptodepression (the bottom of the lake is below sea level), filled by the Morača River and drained into the Adriatic by the 41 kilometer-long Buna/Bojana River, which forms the international border on the lower half of its length.
The Montenegrin part of the lake and its surrounding area were declared a national park in 1983. It is one of the largest bird reserves in Europe, having 270 bird species, among which are some of the last pelicans in Europe, and thus popular with birders. The lake also contains habitats of seagulls and herons and is abundant in fish, especially in carp, bleak and eel.
In 1996, by Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, it was included in the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance.
External links
- Discover-Montenegro.com Description of Skadarsko Jezero with pictures.
- Photo-Montenegro.com
- Destination-Montenegro.com
- Skadarsko jezero (in Serbian, with a lot of images)
- Description of Skadar/Shkodra Lake with photos
- Description of birding opportunities on Skadar Lake
- Oficial Site of Lake Skadar National Park
- Official Entry of the Lake Skadar National Park at WDPA
National Parks of Montenegro |
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Durmitor • Lovćen • Biogradska Gora • Lake Skadar |