Lake Skadar

Lake Skadar (Skadarsko jezero, skâdarskɔː jɛ̂zɛrɔ; Liqeni i Shkodrës, liˈcɛni i ˈʃkɔdrəs) also called Lake Scutari, Lake Shkodër and Lake Shkodra lies on the border of Albania and Montenegro, and is the largest lake in Southern Europe. It is named after the city of Shkodër which lies at its southeastern coast. It is a karst lake. The Montenegrin section of the lake and surrounding land has been designated as a national park, while the Albanian section is a nature reserve and a ramsar site. Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula with a surface area that seasonally fluctuates between and . Lake Shkodër itself is located in the western Balkan region. The lake is located in the border area between Montenegro and Albania, the Montenegrin share of the area of the lake is larger than the Albanian one. The lake's water level also varies seasonally from above sea level. The lake extends northwest to southeast, and it is approximately long. The Bojana River connects the lake with the Adriatic Sea, and the Drin River provides a link with the Ohrid Lake. The lake is a cryptodepression, filled by the river Morača and drained into the Adriatic by the long Bojana (Buna), which forms the international border on the lower half of its length. The largest inflow is from the Morača, which provides about 62% of the lake's water. Total drainage area is . There are additionally some fresh water sources at the lake bottom. A characteristic feature of Lake Skadar’s water balance is the high inflow from a number of temporary and permanent karstic springs, some of which are sublacustrine in cryptodepressians (so-called ‘oko’). The Southern and southwestern sides of the lake are rocky, barren and steep, having bays in which the sublacustrine springs, are usually to be found. On the northern side there is an enormous inundated area, the boundaries of which change as water levels fluctuate. Some small islands like Beška, with two churches on it and Grmožur, a former fortress and prison can be found on the southwestern side of the lake.