Lake Vištytis
Encyclopedia
Lake Vištytis is a lake
on the border between Lithuania
(Vilkaviškis district) and Russia
(Kaliningrad Oblast
). Prior to World War II
it marked part of the border between Germany
(East Prussia
) and Lithuania.
The small Lithuanian town of Vištytis
on the northern shore was named after the lake. On the Lithuanian side, the lake and its environs are protected by Vištytis Regional Park. The lake has 15 inflows, but only one river, the Pissa, tributary to Pregolya
, flows from this lake.
Lake Vištytis covers an area of 17.83 km² (6.9 sq mi), of which 5.44 km² (2.1 sq mi) belongs to Lithuania. This is a marked increase over 0.4 km² (0.154440863437014 sq mi) that belonged to Lithuania before ratification of the Russian–Lithuanian border treaty in 2003. On few occasions, high wind or broken equipment forced tourist boats to the opposite shore. While unintentional, such incidents constitute illegal border crossing and can lead to sanctions from the border guards. Sometimes the lake is used for smuggling goods, usually cigarettes, across the border.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
on the border between Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
(Vilkaviškis district) and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...
). Prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it marked part of the border between Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
) and Lithuania.
The small Lithuanian town of Vištytis
Vištytis
Vištytis is a town in southern Lithuania on Lake Vištytis, Marijampolė district. It is situated at the Russian border and is a capital of Vištytis elderate....
on the northern shore was named after the lake. On the Lithuanian side, the lake and its environs are protected by Vištytis Regional Park. The lake has 15 inflows, but only one river, the Pissa, tributary to Pregolya
Pregolya
The Pregolya or Pregola is a river in the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast exclave.It starts as a confluence of the Instruch and the Angrapa and drains into the Baltic Sea through Vistula Lagoon. Its length under the name of Pregolya is 123 km, 292 km including the Angrapa. The basin has an...
, flows from this lake.
Lake Vištytis covers an area of 17.83 km² (6.9 sq mi), of which 5.44 km² (2.1 sq mi) belongs to Lithuania. This is a marked increase over 0.4 km² (0.154440863437014 sq mi) that belonged to Lithuania before ratification of the Russian–Lithuanian border treaty in 2003. On few occasions, high wind or broken equipment forced tourist boats to the opposite shore. While unintentional, such incidents constitute illegal border crossing and can lead to sanctions from the border guards. Sometimes the lake is used for smuggling goods, usually cigarettes, across the border.