Lake Urmia دریاچه ارومیه, is an endorheic salt lake in Iran. The lake is located between the provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan in Iran, and west of the southern portion of the Caspian Sea. At its greatest extent, it was the largest lake in the Middle East and the sixth-largest saltwater lake on Earth, with a surface area of approximately 5,200 km2 (2,000 sq mi), a length of 140 km (87 mi), a width of 55 km (34 mi), and a maximum depth of 16 m (52 ft). The lake has shrunk to 10% of its former size due to damming of the rivers that flow into it, and the pumping of groundwater from the surrounding area. Lake Urmia, along with its approximately 102 islands, is protected as a National Park by the Iranian Department of Environment.
The basin is surrounded by mountains in the west and north, plateaus in the south, and plateaus and volcanic cones in the east. The lake is about 87 miles (140 km) long and 25 to 35 miles (40 to 55 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 53 feet (16 m). In its southern portion, there is a cluster of about 50 tiny islands. The shoreline varies with the lake level; when the water is high, it extends into large salt marshes to the east and south. The lake’s shores are largely uninhabited.
ِDue to some changes in the echo system, the water has declined recently but the salts have now remained as one of the tourist attractions in the city of Urmia.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/place/Lake-Urmia
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2018/04/lake-urmia-iran-drought/
