"The lake itself functions almost as a closed system; its only outflow river under the present hydrological situation accounts for less than 5 % of the total water losses. The lake water is subject to strong evaporation, has a of the order of 63 years and has a total dissolved salt content of close to one gram per liter, which distinguishes it from the much fresher waters of the majority of the Andean mountain lakes. ... In addition to its unusual features, it is, according to , one of the birthplaces of mankind. The sun, the moon and the stars were born within its bounds according to the wishes of , creator of the world. Here, after the , mankind took its first steps. The lake was a sacred site for the , who saw it as the end of the earth and a point of fusion where the two concepts of time and space came to be expressed."