This Soviet semi trailer plate from Irkutsk Oblast (region) which to me is one of the most interesting places in the world. Irkutsk is in Russia's Siberia and a city of about one million close to Lake Baikal. What makes this area so interesting is Lake Baikal. Part of the lake is in Irkutsk oblast as is the city.

Lake Baikal is the largest lake in the world, not in area but in water volume as it contains one fifth of the worlds fresh water or more water than all five Great Lakes combined. Lake Biakal has many species of wildlife not found anywhere else in the world and also the home to the only distinct species of fresh water sea lions. There are 1,700 species of plants and animals in the region two thirds are unique to the region.

Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, 1637 meters deep at it's deepest and containing 23,600 cubic kilometers (5662.4 cubic miles) of water, enough water to fill a 1km deep by 1km wide trrench of water more than half way around the world at the equator.

Lake Baikal is also the oldest lake in the world at an age of 25 to 30 million years. The lake is in a continental rift region where the earths crust is pulling away at 2 centimeters per year creating the largest continental rift on the planet. Below the lake's floor is a layer of sediment going down 7 kilometers(4.3 miles) to the bottom of the rift making the rift floor at a depth of 9 kilometers (5 miles).

Lake Baikal's largest island Olkhon Island is the fourth largest island on a continental lake in the world.