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Journey to the Sacred Sea
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Program Overview
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Twenty-five million years ago, seismic events in Siberia created the
world's largest and oldest freshwater lake—Baikal. Fed by over
300 mountain streams and rivers, the 400-mile Lake Baikal holds more
water than all five of the Great Lakes together. It is also home to
more than 2,500 species of plants and animals, half of which cannot
be found anywhere else on the Earth. To the indigenous people of
Siberia, Baikal was known as the Sacred Sea, immortalized in legend,
folklore, and poetry. Today, people continue to utilize the lake's
vast resources. Yet human activity often threatens the very
resources people depend on, and some worry that human encroachment
and industrial pollution could make Baikal's ecological future
uncertain. NOVA takes a close look at this ecological system and
explores the risks it faces.
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