Lake Abaya

The Abajasee ( Amharic አባያ ሐይቅ, abaya Hayq ), also called Abayasee or Grabensee, is a lake in southern Ethiopian trench near the city of Arba Minch. The southern end is located in the Nechisar National Park and is the Tosa Sucha ( " Bridge of God"), a low, 3-8 km wide isthmus, separated from Lake Chamo.

Geography

The Abajasee is about 72 kilometers long and 24 meters deep at its deepest point, the surface of the lake is about 1140 km ². The lake is about 1,285 meters above sea level. In the water there are several islands, the largest of which is 11 km long. On the north shore there are hot springs. Many rivers from the nearby mountains of volcanic origin feed the lake, so the from the north coming from the Gurage Mountains largest bilateral flow, furthermore, the inflowing from the northeast Gibado and coming from the south-east Galana. The lake is known for its high proportion of hydroxide ions, which provide a red coloration of the water. The area around the lake is dominated by savannah and is known for its abundant wildlife.

History

Discovered in 1896 an Italian expedition group Vittorio Bottego the Abajasee and gave him after the then prevailing Italian Queen Margaret the name Lake Margherita, which is no longer used today.