Lake Lama is a large freshwater lake (of tectonic origin) in Krasnoyarsk Krai, north-central part of Russia.

Geography

Lake Lama is located in the Putorana Plateau area at 69.51722°N, 90.625°W, 140 km east off the city of Norilsk, and has an area of 318 km² (other sources state 460 km²). It is 80 km long and up to 8 km wide (other sources state length of 100 km and width of 20 km) with a depth ranging from 300 to 600 m. Lake Lama is connected with It is connected with Lake Melkoye ("Lake Shallow") by the Lama River (Putorana). The lake was surveyed and described for the first time by Russian scientist Nikolay Urvantsev and his colleague Bazanov during an expedition in 1921.

Origin of the name

The hydronym Lama comes from Tungusic word laamu where it mean sea, ocean, big water. There was no lake named Lama on the map of Russian Asia published in 1911 by the Chief Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Empire. The lake was pictured very approximately and was named Davydovo.