In the center of Africa, in the driest place on the planet, is Lake Chad. It is very easy to find it on the map.
Briefly about the main thing
The history of this lake began millions of years ago, it is considered one of the few relict lakes that have survived to this day . The reservoir has no runoff, only in some abnormal years does the water rise and flow down the river bed of Bahr al-Ghazal.
The area of Lake Chad is 1,350 km 2 . This figure is conditional, as the pond dries up annually. However, Chad is one of the largest lakes in Africa. Around it are a large number of small swamps. That is why sometimes finding out where Lake Chad is located is difficult. Indeed, already overgrown terrain is also indicated on the map.
Title
The name of the lake comes from the language of the local Aboriginal Kanuri, and in translation means "big water". The state, on the territory of which part of the lake is located, got its name in honor of it. In addition to Chad (a country on this continent), the lake is located within 3 more African countries: Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon. Lake Chad is very well shown on the map below.
Despite the fact that the lake is quite large by African standards, the Europeans were not aware of it for a long time. Mentions that there is a “big sea” in the heart of Africa were made by Arabs. Only in the middle of the XIX century. English scholarly travelers crossed the Sahara and reached the coast of Chad.
What is unique?
Lake Chad (a country with the same name also exists) is truly unique. And there are several reasons for this.
Firstly, its location. The reservoir is located in the center of the driest continent of the planet, almost at the equator. Surprisingly, from all sides deserts approach the lake: from the north - the Sahara, from the south - the Sudanese savannah.
Secondly, frequent changes in the volume of water. The surface of the water area is not constant: in the normal state, the area of the water mirror is 27 thousand km 2 . During the rainy season, it increases to 50 thousand km 2 , and in dry weather it drops to 11 thousand km 2 . The lake is filled with water due to small rivers flowing into it. The largest of them - p. Shari (1,400 km). She, approaching the lake, forms a wide shallow delta.
Thirdly, Lake Chad in Africa is unsalted. Although due to the fact that the pond is closed, and is located in the middle of deserts, it must be salty. But it is not so. In places where rivers flow into the lake, the water is freshwater. Closer to the center, it has a slight salinity.
Depth and terrain features
The lake is shallow. The average depths are 1.5 - 2 m. During the rainy period, the maximum depth of the lake rises, reaching 11 m. Closer to the shores, the reservoir is very shallow. The water in the lake has a dark dirty color, in some places, heavily overgrown with algae.
The shores of Chad are swampy, overgrown with papyrus and other tropical vegetation. In the eastern part of the lake are small islands that are inhabited by some African tribes. Where Lake Chad is located, there is little rainfall, about 200-400 mm / year.
Flora and fauna
But the flora and fauna off the coast of Chad surprises with its diversity. Of the representatives of the flora, you can find different types of papyrus, reed, more than 1 thousand species of various algae, of particular importance for economic activity is the popular species - spirulina. The lake is rich and representatives of ichthyofauna. In the waters of Chad, 179 species of fish are found. Of these, 25 are endemic. Where Lake Chad is located, there are many different animals. Therefore, in addition to fish, in the pond you can meet with crocodiles, hippos and manatees. To the south of the lake, in the savannah, you can find giraffes, buffalos, zebras, antelopes, elephants, lions and hyenas. Some of the animals arrange pastures closer to the shores of the reservoir.
Minerals and Importance for People
From minerals, salt and caustic soda are mined here. Also in the late 70s of the last century, small oil fields were explored. This is due to where Lake Chad is located geographically. There have always been many fossils.
The reservoir is important for local residents. For many years they have been collecting healthy algae - spirulina. Also, fishing is quite developed here.
This place should be visited by all tourists who are interested in picturesque places. Lake Chad simply enchants with its landscapes.