Lake Alaotra

Lake in wetland

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The Lake Alaotra (French Lac Alaotra ) is the largest lake in Madagascar. It is located in one of the most seismically active regions of Madagascar at an altitude of 750 m about 100 km from the east coast of Madagascar, located in the Alaotra Mangoro region (formerly Toamasina ) in the grave rift between the central highlands and the eastern coast of Madagascar, which of Ambatondrazaka Amparafaravola and runs in the direction Antananarivo. The name Alaotra derived from the Indonesian word for " sea " from.

The lake has an area of ​​220 km ² and flooded in the rainy season more about 350 km ² in the south and west. He has the rough shape of a boomerang and is located in a vast wetland, which is extensively used for rice cultivation. The valley is one of the centers in Madagascar, where Lavakas occur, a particular form of soil erosion. This favored by deforestation, overgrazing and burning of pastures of erosion leads to the (approximately 2 m average depth ) increasingly silted up the already shallow lake.

The lake is fed by the Ambato River, which flows this well drained and after 381 km in the Indian Ocean.

Fauna and Flora

Among the peculiarities of the fauna of Lac Alaotra include a high concentration of Madagascar ducks, an endemic to Madagascar Schwimmentenart whose stocks have fallen sharply in recent years. The number of Madagascar dwarf divers who were based here in historical times are greatly reduced. In addition comes a primate, the Alaotra bamboo lemur, only available in the reeds around the lake. Another endemic lake animal is Salanoia durrelli from the family of Madagascar mongoose.