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Lake Ohrid (Macedonian: Охридско Езеро, Ohridsko Ezero Albanian: Liqeni i Ohrit) straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern region of the Republic of Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is the deepest and oldest lake in the Balkans, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem that is of worldwide importance.

Natural characteristics
Lake Ohrid is the deepest lake of the Balkans, with a maximum depth of 288 m (940 ft) and a mean depth of 161 m (528 ft). It covers an area of 350 km² (135 sq mi), containing an estimated 58.6 km³ of water. It is 30.4 km long by 14.8 km wide at its maximum extent with a shoreline length of 87.53 km, shared between Macedonia (56.02 km) and Albania (31.51 km).

The lake is famous for its crystal clear water which is sometimes transparent to a depth of as much as 22 meters (66 feet). It drains an area of around 1100 km² and is fed primarily by underground springs on the eastern shore. Over half of the lake's water comes from nearby Lake Prespa, about 10 km (6 miles) to the southeast, trickling through underground watercourses in the karstic landscape. It has only one outlet, the Drin River, which flows in a northerly direction into Montenegro and thus to the Adriatic Sea.