Aral Sea, << AR ul, >> is a large saltwater lake in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It is one of the world’s largest inland bodies of water. Since the early 1960’s, however, irrigation has caused the lake to shrink to about a tenth of its former size. The lake now covers about 2,600 square miles (6,700 square kilometers). It contains many islands. Since the early 2000’s, Kazakhstan’s government has worked to restore the Aral Sea and reverse years of environmental damage.
