Jump to content

Lake Prespa: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 40°54′N 21°02′E / 40.900°N 21.033°E / 40.900; 21.033
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
 
(44 intermediate revisions by 27 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Lake in Southeastern Europe}}
{{Short description|Lake in South-eastern Europe}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{other uses|Prespa (disambiguation)}}
{{Other uses|Prespa (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox lake
{{Infobox lake
| name = Lake Prespa
| name = Lake Prespa
| image = Liqeni Prespes. Ishulli Mali Gradit. Korce. Albania.jpg
| image = Liqeni Prespes. Ishulli Mali Gradit. Korce. Albania.jpg
| caption = The Island of Maligrad in the Albanian part of the Lake
| caption = The Island of Maligrad in the Albanian part of the lake
| image_bathymetry = Ohrid Prespa lakes map.png
| image_bathymetry =
| caption_bathymetry = Location
| caption_bathymetry =
| location = [[Balkans]] ([[North Macedonia]], [[Albania]], [[Greece]])
| location = [[Balkans|Balkan Peninsula]]
| coords = {{coord|40|54|N|21|02|E|type:waterbody_scale:500000|display=inline,title}}
| coords = {{Coord|40|54|N|21|02|E|type:waterbody_scale:500000|display=inline,title}}
| type = [[Ancient lake]], [[tectonic]]
| type = [[Ancient lake]], [[tectonics|tectonic]]
| inflow =
| inflow =
| outflow = [[Lake Ohrid]] via karstic channels
| outflow = [[Lake Ohrid]] via karstic channels
| catchment =
| catchment =
| basin_countries = North Macedonia, Albania, Greece
| basin_countries = {{flag|North Macedonia}}<br />{{flag|Albania}}<br />{{flag|Greece}}
| length =
| length =
| width =
| width =
| area = {{convert|259|km2|abbr=on}}
| area = {{convert|318|km2|abbr=on}}
| depth =
| depth =
| max-depth = {{convert|54|m|abbr=on}}
| max-depth = {{convert|54|m|abbr=on}}
Line 27: Line 28:
| cities =
| cities =
<!-- Map -->
<!-- Map -->
| pushpin_map = North Macedonia#Albania#Greece#Balkans#Europe
| pushpin_map = North Macedonia#Albania#Greece#Balkans#Europe
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt = Location of the lake in Europe
| pushpin_map_alt = Location of the lake in Europe
| pushpin_map_caption =
| pushpin_map_caption =
<!-- Below -->
<!-- Below -->
| website =
| website =
| reference =
| reference =
| extra = {{Infobox mapframe |wikidata=yes |zoom=9 |coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}} {{Designation list
| extra = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1 = Ramsar
Line 45: Line 46:
| designation2_number = 2151<ref>{{Cite web|title=Albanian Prespa Lakes|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/2151|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
| designation2_number = 2151<ref>{{Cite web|title=Albanian Prespa Lakes|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/2151|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
}}
}}
⚫
The '''Lake Prespa''' is located on the tripoint of [[North Macedonia]], [[Albania]], and [[Greece]]. It is a system of two lakes separated by an [[isthmus]]: the Great Prespa Lake, divided between the three countries, and the Little Prespa Lake, mostly within Greece. They are the highest [[tectonic lakes]] in the [[Balkans]], standing at an elevation of {{convert|853|m|ft}}.


⚫
The '''Lake Prespa''' is located on the [[tripoint]] of [[North Macedonia]], [[Albania]] and [[Greece]]. It is a system of two lakes separated by an [[isthmus]]: the Great Prespa Lake, divided between the three countries, and the Little Prespa Lake, mostly within Greece. They are the highest [[Lake#Tectonic lakes|tectonic lakes]] in the [[Balkans]], at an elevation of {{convert|853|m|ft}}.
⚫
The area contains three national parks: [[Prespa National Park (Albania)|Prespa]] in Albania, [[Galičica]] in North Macedonia and [[Prespa National Park (Greece)|Prespa]] in Greece. The largest town in the region is [[Resen (town)|Resen]] in North Macedonia. In 2014, the [[Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Reserve]] between Albania and North Macedonia was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.<ref>[http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/thirteen_sites_added_to_unescos_world_network_of_biosphere_reserves/ Thirteen sites added to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves] – [[UNESCO]]</ref>

⚫
The area contains three national parks: [[Galičica|Galičica National Park]] in North Macedonia, [[Prespa National Park (Albania)|Prespa National Park]] in Albania, and [[Prespa National Park (Greece)|Prespa National Park]] in Greece. The largest town in the region is [[Resen, North Macedonia|Resen]] in North Macedonia. In 2014, [[Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Biosphere Reserve]] between Albania and North Macedonia was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.<ref>[http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/thirteen_sites_added_to_unescos_world_network_of_biosphere_reserves/ Thirteen sites added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves] – [[UNESCO]]</ref>


==Geography==
==Geography==
The Great Prespa Lake ({{lang-mk|Преспанско Езеро}}, ''Prespansko Ezero'', {{lang-sq|Liqeni i Prespës së Madhe}}, {{lang-el|Μεγάλη Πρέσπα}}, ''Megáli Préspa'') has the total surface of {{convert|259|km²|2|abbr=on}}. The largest part of it, {{convert|176.3|km²|2|abbr=on}} belongs to North Macedonia; {{convert|46.3|km²|2|abbr=on}} to Albania; and {{convert|36.4|km²|2|abbr=on}} to Greece.
The Great Prespa Lake ({{langx|mk|Преспанско Езеро}}, ''Prespansko Ezero'', {{langx|sq|Liqeni i Prespës së Madhe}}, {{langx|el|Μεγάλη Πρέσπα}}, ''Megáli Préspa'') has the total surface of {{convert|259|km²|2|abbr=on}}. The largest part of it, {{convert|176.3|km²|2|abbr=on}} belongs to North Macedonia; {{convert|46.3|km²|2|abbr=on}} to Albania; and {{convert|36.4|km²|2|abbr=on}} to Greece.


To the south, the Little Prespa Lake<ref>Kapka Kassabova, To the Lake, Granta 2020, map 1 gives simply Lake Prespa and Little Prespa, not Great and Small Prespa</ref> (Greek: Μικρή Πρέσπα, ''Mikri Prespa''; Albanian: ''Prespa e Vogël''; Macedonian: Мало Преспанско Езеро) has the total surface area of {{convert|46.8|km²|2|abbr=on}}, most of it in Greece, with the westernmost tip ({{convert|4.3|km²|2|abbr=on}}) in Albania.
To the south, the Little Prespa Lake<ref>Kapka Kassabova, To the Lake, Granta 2020, map 1 gives simply Lake Prespa and Little Prespa, not Great and Small Prespa</ref> (Greek: Μικρή Πρέσπα, ''Mikri Prespa''; Albanian: ''Prespa e Vogël''; Macedonian: Мало Преспанско Езеро) has the total surface area of {{convert|46.8|km²|2|abbr=on}}, most of it in Greece, with the westernmost tip ({{convert|4.3|km²|2|abbr=on}}) in Albania.


The two lakes are separated by a 4&nbsp;km (2½ miles) long and 500&nbsp;metres (550 yards) wide isthmus on the Greek territory, carrying an embankment with a road connecting the village of [[Psarades]]. A short stretch of a canal connects the lakes on the western side of the isthmus.
The two lakes are separated by a {{convert|4|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} and {{convert|500|m|yd|adj=mid|-wide}} isthmus on the Greek territory, carrying an embankment with a road connecting the village of [[Psarades]]. A short stretch of a canal connects the lakes on the western side of the isthmus.


==History==
==History==
[[File:Ohrid and Prespa lakes topographic map.svg|left|220px|thumb|Topographic map of Lake Prespa and [[Lake Ohrid]].]]
[[File:Ohrid and Prespa lakes topographic map.svg|left|220px|thumb|Topographic map of Lake Prespa and [[Lake Ohrid]].]]
[[File:Spongilla prespensis.jpg|thumbnail|''[[Spongilla prespensis]]'' is endemic to Lake Prespa]]
[[File:Spongilla prespensis.jpg|thumbnail|''[[Spongilla prespensis]]'' is endemic to Lake Prespa]]
⚫
In Classical times, the Prespa region formed part of ancient Lýnkos (Λύγκος), and the lakes were called Little and Great Brygeis. In the 10th century, the [[Samuel of Bulgaria|Tsar Samuil]] built the fortress and church of [[Achillius of Larissa|St. Achillius]] on an island called Agios Achillios in the Small Prespa Lake, on the Greek side of the border. The biggest island in the Great Prespa Lake, within North Macedonia, is called [[Golem Grad]] ("Large Town"), and Snake Island (Zmiski Ostrov). The other island [[Mal Grad]] ("Small Town", in Albania) is the site of a ruined 14th century monastery dedicated to [[St. Peter]]. Today, both islands are uninhabited.


⚫
In Classical times, the Prespa region formed part of ancient [[Lynkestis]], and the lakes were called Little and Great Brygeis. In the 10th century, the [[Samuel of Bulgaria|Tsar Samuil]] built the fortress and church of [[Achillius of Larissa|St. Achillius]] on an island called Agios Achillios in the Small Prespa Lake, on the Greek side of the border. The biggest island in the Great Prespa Lake, within North Macedonia, is called [[Golem Grad]] ("Large Town"), and Snake Island (Zmiski Ostrov). The other island [[Mal Grad]] ("Small Town", in Albania) is the site of a ruined 14th century monastery dedicated to [[St. Peter]]. Today, both islands are uninhabited.
⚫
Because Great Prespa Lake sits in limestone country about 150m above [[Lake Ohrid]], which lies only about 10 km (6 miles) to the west, the only outlets for its waters are through underground channels in the [[karst]] and emerge from [[spring (hydrosphere)|springs]] which feed streams running into Lake Ohrid.<ref>Thomas Wilke, Risto Väinolä, Frank Riedel (2009), [https://books.google.com/books?id=gqRToWKR8xkC&pg=PA107&dq=prespa+topography&hl=cs&ei=xzB2Tc-HMeXo0gHF-YjqBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=prespa%20topography&f=false ''Patterns and Processes of Speciation in Ancient Lakes: Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium on Speciation in Ancient Lakes, Berlin, Germany, September 4–8, 2006 (Developments in Hydrobiology)''], p. 107, Springer, {{ISBN|1-4020-9581-3}}</ref>

⚫
Because Great Prespa Lake sits in limestone country about 150m above [[Lake Ohrid]], which lies only about 10 km (6 miles) to the west, the only outlets for its waters are through underground channels in the [[karst]] and emerge from [[spring (hydrosphere)|springs]] which feed streams running into Lake Ohrid.<ref>Thomas Wilke, Risto Väinolä, Frank Riedel (2009), [https://books.google.com/books?id=gqRToWKR8xkC&dq=prespa+topography&pg=PA107 ''Patterns and Processes of Speciation in Ancient Lakes: Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium on Speciation in Ancient Lakes, Berlin, Germany, September 4–8, 2006 (Developments in Hydrobiology)''], p. 107, Springer, {{ISBN|1-4020-9581-3}}</ref>

In the 1970s, the [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania|communist regime]] in Albania diverted the [[Devoll (river)|Devoll River]] feeding the Little Prespa to irrigate agricultural lands in the [[Korçë]] area, contributing to the depletion of the lake's surface area from 450 hectares to at least 20 hectares by 2024, with the lost area either drying out or converted into swampland. The Great Prespa also saw its surface area decrease by seven percent and its volume reduced by half from 1984 to 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20241002-shrinking-lake-on-albanian-greek-border-struggles-to-survive |title=Shrinking lake on Albanian-Greek border struggles to survive |work=France 24 |date=2 October 2024 |access-date=2 October 2024 }}</ref>


For many years, the Greek part of the Prespa Lakes region was an underpopulated, military sensitive area which required special permission for outsiders to visit. It saw fierce fighting during the [[Greek Civil War]] and much of the local population subsequently emigrated to escape endemic poverty and political strife. The region remained little developed until the 1970s, when it began to be promoted as a tourist destination. With an abundance of rare fauna and flora, the area was declared a Transnational Park in 2000. In 1999 the Society for the Protection of Prespa received the [[Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award]] for its conservation efforts regarding the Lake Prespa [[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] site, and was eventually included on 3 July 2013.
For many years, the Greek part of the Prespa Lakes region was an underpopulated, military sensitive area which required special permission for outsiders to visit. It saw fierce fighting during the [[Greek Civil War]] and much of the local population subsequently emigrated to escape endemic poverty and political strife. The region remained little developed until the 1970s, when it began to be promoted as a tourist destination. With an abundance of rare fauna and flora, the area was declared a Transnational Park in 2000. In 1999 the Society for the Protection of Prespa received the [[Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award]] for its conservation efforts regarding the Lake Prespa [[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] site, and was eventually included on 3 July 2013.


In 2018, Great Prespa Lake was the setting for the signing of the [[Prespa Agreement]], intended to resolve the [[Macedonia naming dispute]] by renaming the Republic of Macedonia to [[North Macedonia]].<ref name="2018FinalAgreement">{{cite document|url=http://s.kathimerini.gr/resources/article-files/symfwnia-aggliko-keimeno.pdf|title=FINAL AGREEMENT FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE DIFFERENCES AS DESCRIBED IN THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS 817 (1993) AND 845 (1993), THE TERMINATION OF THE INTERIM ACCORD OF 1995, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE PARTIES |work=Kathimerini|access-date=13 June 2018}}</ref> The agreement was signed on 17 June 2018 in a high-level ceremony at the Greek border village of [[Psarades]] on the lake, by the two foreign ministers [[Nikola Dimitrov]] (of the Republic of Macedonia) and [[Nikos Kotzias]] (of [[Greece]]) and in the presence of the respective prime ministers, [[Zoran Zaev]] and [[Alexis Tsipras]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-macedonia-name-pms/greece-macedonia-sign-pact-to-change-ex-yugoslav-republics-name-idUSKBN1JD06D|title=Greece, Macedonia sign pact to change ex-Yugoslav republic's name|work=[[Reuters]]|date=17 June 2018|access-date=17 June 2018}}</ref> After the ceremony, Tsipras and Zaev crossed over the border to North Macedonia's side of the lake for lunch at the village of [[Oteševo]], in a highly symbolic move that marked the first time a Greek prime minister ever entered the Republic of Macedonia since it declared independence in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.gr/entry/prespes-o-alexes-tsipras-einai-o-protos-ellenas-prothepoeryos-poe-episkeftheke-ten-pydm_gr_5b263751e4b0783ae129eba2|title=Prespa: Alexis Tsipras is the first Greek prime minister to visit FYROM (original: Πρέσπες: Ο Αλέξης Τσίπρας είναι ο πρώτος Έλληνας πρωθυπουργός που επισκέφθηκε την πΓΔΜ)|work=HuffPost|date=17 June 2018|access-date=17 June 2018}}</ref>
In 2018, Great Prespa Lake was the setting for the signing of the [[Prespa Agreement]], intended to resolve the [[Macedonia naming dispute]] by renaming the Republic of Macedonia to [[North Macedonia]].<ref name="2018FinalAgreement">{{cite web |url=http://s.kathimerini.gr/resources/article-files/symfwnia-aggliko-keimeno.pdf|title=Final Agreement for the Settlement of the Differences as Described in the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993), the Termination of the Interim Accord of 1995, and the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership Between the Parties |website=Kathimerini |access-date=13 June 2018}}</ref> The agreement was signed on 17 June 2018 in a high-level ceremony at the Greek border village of [[Psarades]] on the lake, by the two foreign ministers [[Nikola Dimitrov]] (of the Republic of Macedonia) and [[Nikos Kotzias]] (of [[Greece]]) and in the presence of the respective prime ministers, [[Zoran Zaev]] and [[Alexis Tsipras]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-macedonia-name-pms/greece-macedonia-sign-pact-to-change-ex-yugoslav-republics-name-idUSKBN1JD06D|title=Greece, Macedonia sign pact to change ex-Yugoslav republic's name|work=[[Reuters]]|date=17 June 2018|access-date=17 June 2018}}</ref> After the ceremony, Tsipras and Zaev crossed over the border to North Macedonia's side of the lake for lunch at the village of [[Oteševo]], in a highly symbolic move that marked the first time a Greek prime minister ever entered the Republic of Macedonia since it declared independence in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.gr/entry/prespes-o-alexes-tsipras-einai-o-protos-ellenas-prothepoeryos-poe-episkeftheke-ten-pydm_gr_5b263751e4b0783ae129eba2|title=Prespa: Alexis Tsipras is the first Greek prime minister to visit FYROM (original: Πρέσπες: Ο Αλέξης Τσίπρας είναι ο πρώτος Έλληνας πρωθυπουργός που επισκέφθηκε την πΓΔΜ)|work=HuffPost|date=17 June 2018|access-date=17 June 2018}}</ref>


==Wildlife==
==Wildlife==
Only 11 native fish species are known from the lake, but 9 of these are [[Endemism|endemic]]: ''[[Alburnoides prespensis]]'', ''[[Alburnus belvica]]'', ''[[Barbus prespensis]]'', ''[[Chondrostoma prespense]]'', ''[[Cobitis meridionalis]]'', ''[[Pelasgus prespensis]]'', ''[[Rutilus prespensis]]'', ''[[Salmo peristericus]]'' and ''[[Squalius prespensis]]''.<ref>Talevski, Milosevic, Maric, Petrovic, Talevska and Talevska (2009). ''[http://www.diagnosisp.com/dp/journals/view_pdf.php?journal_id=1&archive=0&issue_id=22&article_id=680 Biodiversity of Ichtyofauna from Lake Prespa, Lake Ohrid and Lake Skadar.]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}'' Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment 23(2). ISSN 1310-2818</ref>
Only 11 native fish species are known from the lake. Of these 9 of these are [[Endemism|endemic]]: ''[[Alburnoides prespensis]]'', ''[[Alburnus belvica]]'', ''[[Barbus prespensis]]'', ''[[Chondrostoma prespense]]'', ''[[Cobitis meridionalis]]'', ''[[Pelasgus prespensis]]'', ''[[Rutilus prespensis]]'', ''[[Salmo peristericus]]'' and ''[[Squalius prespensis]]''; the additional two are ''[[Anguilla anguilla]]'' (European eel) and ''[[Cyprinus carpio]]'' (European carp).<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Talevski | first1=T. | last2=Milosevic | first2=D. | last3=Maric | first3=D. | last4=Petrovic | first4=D. | last5=Talevska | first5=M. | last6=Talevska | first6=A. | title=Biodiversity of Ichthyofauna from Lake Prespa, Lake Ohrid and Lake Skadar | journal=Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment | publisher=Informa UK Limited | volume=23 | issue=sup1 | year=2009 | issn=1310-2818 | doi=10.1080/13102818.2009.10818449 | pages=400–404| s2cid=84541133 }}</ref> The lake is also home to the freshwater [[sponge]] ''[[Spongilla prespensis]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=367128 |title= Spongilla prespensis |author= |date= |work= |publisher= World Register of Marine Species |accessdate=19 September 2012}}</ref>


===Important Bird Areas===
===Important Bird Areas===
Line 87: Line 92:
File:Scale Megaln Prespa Limvn.JPG|Cliff face around Greek side
File:Scale Megaln Prespa Limvn.JPG|Cliff face around Greek side
File:Lake_Prespa_Albania.jpg|Maligrad Island in Albania
File:Lake_Prespa_Albania.jpg|Maligrad Island in Albania
File:Prespa Gölü platform.jpg|A platform in Lake Prespa
</gallery>
</gallery>


⚫
==See also==
'''Tourism'''
⚫
* [[Prespa]], adjacent region in North Macedonia
⚫
* [[Mala Prespa|Prespa e Vogël]] and [[Gollobordë]], adjacent region in Albania
⚫
* [[Prespa National Park (Albania)|Prespa National Park]]
⚫
* [[Prespes]], adjacent municipality in Greece


⚫
==References==
Lake Prespa in North Macedonia has not commanded a large tourism population in the past. The majority of foreign tourism has been clustered around the sister lake, Ohrid, where there are abundant overnight accommodations, restaurants and a lively town center in the summer months. Lake Prespa has subsequently remained somewhat isolated and pastoral, bringing its own special attraction in current times. The area remains pristine, without the hustle and bustle of a tourist town and a distinct lack of concrete and pollution which usually comes with developing tourism. Waterfront developments with sophisticated cafes serving food and drinks such as "Connect Beach" in the village of Slivnica, however, are providing a way for visitors to spend the day on the lake in luxury, without impacting on the environment. Companies such ''Prespa Panorama'' based in North Macedonia are leading the development of overnight lodging for the region with a concept of low environmental impact, low volume accommodations in the region. The municipality of Resen has begun construction of a paved walking and biking path that will link the individual villages providing access for a walking or biking tour of the numerous villages that are scattered around the lake. The completed concept will allow individuals to explore the entire south western corner of North Macedonia including Pelister and Galicica, two of the most beautiful and scenic mountain peaks of the region on foot or by bicycle. A descent from Galicica on the western face brings the cyclist or hiker down to the most scenic part of Lake Ohrid, which is separated from Lake Prespa by its massif. Once on the Lake Ohrid side, the springs where the waters of Lake Prespa emerge from under the mountain and drain into Lake Ohrid can be enjoyed.
{{reflist}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
* "Prespa, Lake". ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2005.
* "Prespa, Lake". ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2005.
* "Prespa, Lake". ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 2004.
* "Prespa, Lake". ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 2004.

⚫
==See also==
⚫
*[[Prespa National Park (Albania)|Prespa National Park]]
⚫
*[[Prespa]], adjacent region in North Macedonia
⚫
*[[Prespes]], adjacent municipality in Greece
⚫
*[[Prespa e Vogël]] and [[Golloborda]], adjacent region in Albania

⚫
==References==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Prespa}}
{{Wikivoyage|Prespa}}
*{{Commonscat-inline}}
* {{Commonscat-inline}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090215051640/http://www.prespapark.org/ Archived webpage of Transboundary Prespa Park]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090215051640/http://www.prespapark.org/ Archived webpage of Transboundary Prespa Park]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160618050009/http://prespanationalpark.gov.al/ Archived webpage of Prespa National Park Official Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160618050009/http://prespanationalpark.gov.al/ Archived webpage of Prespa National Park Official Website]


⚫
{{Lakes in Albania}}
⚫
{{Albania topics}}
{{Greece topics}}
{{North Macedonia topics}}


{{Authority control}}
⚫
{{North Macedonia topics}}

⚫
{{Lakes in Albania}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prespa}}
{{Albania topics}}{{Greece topics}}{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Ancient lakes]]
[[Category:Ancient lakes]]

Latest revision as of 19:05, 22 December 2024

For other uses, see Prespa (disambiguation).
Lake Prespa
The Island of Maligrad in the Albanian part of the lake
Location of the lake in Europe
Location of the lake in Europe
Lake Prespa
Location of the lake in Europe
Location of the lake in Europe
Lake Prespa
Location of the lake in Europe
Location of the lake in Europe
Lake Prespa
Location of the lake in Europe
Location of the lake in Europe
Lake Prespa
Location of the lake in Europe
Location of the lake in Europe
Lake Prespa
LocationBalkan Peninsula
Coordinates40°54′N 21°02′E / 40.900°N 21.033°E / 40.900; 21.033
TypeAncient lake, tectonic
Primary outflowsLake Ohrid via karstic channels
Basin countries North Macedonia
 Albania
 Greece
Surface area318 km2 (123 sq mi)
Max. depth54 m (177 ft)
Surface elevation853 m (2,799 ft)
IslandsGolem Grad, Mal Grad
Official nameLake Prespa
Designated4 April 1995
Reference no.726[1]
Official nameAlbanian Prespa Lakes
Designated13 June 2013
Reference no.2151[2]

The Lake Prespa is located on the tripoint of North Macedonia, Albania and Greece. It is a system of two lakes separated by an isthmus: the Great Prespa Lake, divided between the three countries, and the Little Prespa Lake, mostly within Greece. They are the highest tectonic lakes in the Balkans, at an elevation of 853 metres (2,799 ft).

The area contains three national parks: Galičica National Park in North Macedonia, Prespa National Park in Albania, and Prespa National Park in Greece. The largest town in the region is Resen in North Macedonia. In 2014, Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Biosphere Reserve between Albania and North Macedonia was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.[3]

Geography

[edit]

The Great Prespa Lake (Macedonian: Преспанско Езеро, Prespansko Ezero, Albanian: Liqeni i Prespës së Madhe, Greek: Μεγάλη Πρέσπα, Megáli Préspa) has the total surface of 259 km2 (100.00 sq mi). The largest part of it, 176.3 km2 (68.07 sq mi) belongs to North Macedonia; 46.3 km2 (17.88 sq mi) to Albania; and 36.4 km2 (14.05 sq mi) to Greece.

To the south, the Little Prespa Lake[4] (Greek: Μικρή Πρέσπα, Mikri Prespa; Albanian: Prespa e Vogël; Macedonian: Мало Преспанско Езеро) has the total surface area of 46.8 km2 (18.07 sq mi), most of it in Greece, with the westernmost tip (4.3 km2 (1.66 sq mi)) in Albania.

The two lakes are separated by a 4-kilometre-long (2.5 mi) and 500-metre-wide (550 yd) isthmus on the Greek territory, carrying an embankment with a road connecting the village of Psarades. A short stretch of a canal connects the lakes on the western side of the isthmus.

History

[edit]
Topographic map of Lake Prespa and Lake Ohrid.
Spongilla prespensis is endemic to Lake Prespa

In Classical times, the Prespa region formed part of ancient Lynkestis, and the lakes were called Little and Great Brygeis. In the 10th century, the Tsar Samuil built the fortress and church of St. Achillius on an island called Agios Achillios in the Small Prespa Lake, on the Greek side of the border. The biggest island in the Great Prespa Lake, within North Macedonia, is called Golem Grad ("Large Town"), and Snake Island (Zmiski Ostrov). The other island Mal Grad ("Small Town", in Albania) is the site of a ruined 14th century monastery dedicated to St. Peter. Today, both islands are uninhabited.

Because Great Prespa Lake sits in limestone country about 150m above Lake Ohrid, which lies only about 10 km (6 miles) to the west, the only outlets for its waters are through underground channels in the karst and emerge from springs which feed streams running into Lake Ohrid.[5]

In the 1970s, the communist regime in Albania diverted the Devoll River feeding the Little Prespa to irrigate agricultural lands in the Korçë area, contributing to the depletion of the lake's surface area from 450 hectares to at least 20 hectares by 2024, with the lost area either drying out or converted into swampland. The Great Prespa also saw its surface area decrease by seven percent and its volume reduced by half from 1984 to 2020.[6]

For many years, the Greek part of the Prespa Lakes region was an underpopulated, military sensitive area which required special permission for outsiders to visit. It saw fierce fighting during the Greek Civil War and much of the local population subsequently emigrated to escape endemic poverty and political strife. The region remained little developed until the 1970s, when it began to be promoted as a tourist destination. With an abundance of rare fauna and flora, the area was declared a Transnational Park in 2000. In 1999 the Society for the Protection of Prespa received the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award for its conservation efforts regarding the Lake Prespa Ramsar site, and was eventually included on 3 July 2013.

In 2018, Great Prespa Lake was the setting for the signing of the Prespa Agreement, intended to resolve the Macedonia naming dispute by renaming the Republic of Macedonia to North Macedonia.[7] The agreement was signed on 17 June 2018 in a high-level ceremony at the Greek border village of Psarades on the lake, by the two foreign ministers Nikola Dimitrov (of the Republic of Macedonia) and Nikos Kotzias (of Greece) and in the presence of the respective prime ministers, Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras.[8] After the ceremony, Tsipras and Zaev crossed over the border to North Macedonia's side of the lake for lunch at the village of Oteševo, in a highly symbolic move that marked the first time a Greek prime minister ever entered the Republic of Macedonia since it declared independence in 1991.[9]

Wildlife

[edit]

Only 11 native fish species are known from the lake. Of these 9 of these are endemic: Alburnoides prespensis, Alburnus belvica, Barbus prespensis, Chondrostoma prespense, Cobitis meridionalis, Pelasgus prespensis, Rutilus prespensis, Salmo peristericus and Squalius prespensis; the additional two are Anguilla anguilla (European eel) and Cyprinus carpio (European carp).[10] The lake is also home to the freshwater sponge Spongilla prespensis.[11]

Important Bird Areas

[edit]

North Macedonia's part of the lake has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of ferruginous ducks, tufted ducks, Dalmatian pelicans and pygmy cormorants.[12] The Albanian part of the lake is a separate but corresponding IBA for the same reason,[13] as is the Greek southern section of the lake.[14]

[edit]
  • Fisherman's hut in Oteševo, North Macedonia
    Fisherman's hut in Oteševo, North Macedonia
  • Beach "Ribarsko Selo" in Oteševo, North Macedonia
    Beach "Ribarsko Selo" in Oteševo, North Macedonia
  • Beach at Konjsko, North Macedonia
    Beach at Konjsko, North Macedonia
  • Prespa as seen from Oteševo - Stenje route in North Macedonia
    Prespa as seen from Oteševo - Stenje route in North Macedonia
  • The lake as seen from Oteševo - Stenje route
    The lake as seen from Oteševo - Stenje route
  • "Evropa" hotel in Oteševo, now abandoned
    "Evropa" hotel in Oteševo, now abandoned
  • The southern shoreline (Stenje - Konjsko)
    The southern shoreline (Stenje - Konjsko)
  • Fisherman's huts at "Ribarsko Selo"
    Fisherman's huts at "Ribarsko Selo"
  • Shoreline along the Greek side
    Shoreline along the Greek side
  • View from Greek side
    View from Greek side
  • Cliff face around Greek side
    Cliff face around Greek side
  • Maligrad Island in Albania
    Maligrad Island in Albania
  • A platform in Lake Prespa
    A platform in Lake Prespa

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Lake Prespa". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Albanian Prespa Lakes". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ^ Thirteen sites added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves – UNESCO
  4. ^ Kapka Kassabova, To the Lake, Granta 2020, map 1 gives simply Lake Prespa and Little Prespa, not Great and Small Prespa
  5. ^ Thomas Wilke, Risto Väinolä, Frank Riedel (2009), Patterns and Processes of Speciation in Ancient Lakes: Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium on Speciation in Ancient Lakes, Berlin, Germany, September 4–8, 2006 (Developments in Hydrobiology), p. 107, Springer, ISBN 1-4020-9581-3
  6. ^ "Shrinking lake on Albanian-Greek border struggles to survive". France 24. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Final Agreement for the Settlement of the Differences as Described in the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993), the Termination of the Interim Accord of 1995, and the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership Between the Parties" (PDF). Kathimerini. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Greece, Macedonia sign pact to change ex-Yugoslav republic's name". Reuters. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  9. ^ "Prespa: Alexis Tsipras is the first Greek prime minister to visit FYROM (original: Πρέσπες: Ο Αλέξης Τσίπρας είναι ο πρώτος Έλληνας πρωθυπουργός που επισκέφθηκε την πΓΔΜ)". HuffPost. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  10. ^ Talevski, T.; Milosevic, D.; Maric, D.; Petrovic, D.; Talevska, M.; Talevska, A. (2009). "Biodiversity of Ichthyofauna from Lake Prespa, Lake Ohrid and Lake Skadar". Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment. 23 (sup1). Informa UK Limited: 400–404. doi:10.1080/13102818.2009.10818449. ISSN 1310-2818. S2CID 84541133.
  11. ^ "Spongilla prespensis". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  12. ^ "Lake Prespa". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Lake Megali Prespa". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Prespa National Park and Varnountas mountains". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.

Sources

[edit]
  • "Prespa, Lake". Encyclopædia Britannica, 2005.
  • "Prespa, Lake". The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2004.
[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Prespa.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Lake_Prespa&oldid=1264637433"