Tengiz Lake (, Teñız kölı; ) is a saline lake in Korgalzhyn District, Akmola Region, Kazakhstan. On 16 October 1976, the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 23 unintentionally splashed down into the northern part of the lake, which was frozen, crashing through the ice. The crew was saved thanks to a very difficult but successful rescue operation. Geography Tengiz is a shallow lake, subject to seasonal variations in water level. Its eastern shore is deeply indented and includes the Tengizi Islands. The lake is located in an intermontane basin of the Kazakh Uplands and is the largest of the area. The Nura and Kulanotpes are the main rivers flowing into the lake. Lake Korgalzhyn is located in the eastern part, and Kypshak and Kirey to the southwest of lake Tengiz. Ecology Lake Tengiz is an important wetland site for birds. It is a part of a Ramsar wetland site of international importance, the Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Lake System. 318 species of birds have been recorded at Lake Tengiz, 22 of which are endangered. It is the most northerly nesting site for the Greater flamingo; in the years 2006-2011 around 45,000 members of that species were noted. In 2015, however, the number dropped to less than 15,000. The lake is part of the Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve, for which it was nominated in 2008 together with the Naurzum Nature Reserve as the first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kazakhstan (Saryarka — Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan). References Lakes of Kazakhstan Ramsar sites in Kazakhstan Saline lakes of Asia Kazakh Uplands Akmola Region