OLKHON ISLAND

also spelled Ol'chon, island in Lake Baikal, administered as part of Irkutsk oblast (province), east-central Russia. It is separated from the lake's western shore by the straits of Olkhon and the Maloye More (Little Sea). Its area is 280 square miles (730 square km), and its highest point, Mount Zhima, rises to 4,186 feet (1,276 m). The island is composed largely of granites and gneisses. The northern part is forested, while the southern has steppe-grasslands. The island has frequent northwesterly winds known as sarma.