Lake Langano

Infobox lake
lake_name = Lake Langano
image_lake = Ethiopia - Lake Langano.jpg
caption_lake =
image_bathymetry = Ethiopia_central_lakes.jpg
caption_bathymetry =
location =
coords = coord|7|36|N|38|43|E|region:ET_type:waterbody|display=inline,title
type =
inflow =
outflow =
catchment =
basin_countries = Ethiopia
length = 18 km
width = 16 km
area = 230 km²
depth =
max-depth = 46 m
volume =
residence_time =
shore =
elevation = 1,585 m
islands =
cities =

Langano is a lake in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia, about 100 km south of the capital, Addis Ababa, on the border between the Misraq Shewa and Arsi Zones. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at an elevation of 1,585 meters to the east of Lake Abijatta. According to figures published by the Central Statistical Agency, Lake Langano is 18 kilometers long and 16 km wide, with a surface area of 230 square kilometers and a maximum depth of 46 meters. [ [http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm CSA 2005 National Statistics] , Table A.2]

As it is free of Bilharzia (schistosomiasis), unlike most freshwater lakes in the country, Lake Langano is popular with tourists and city-dwellers. Many are attracted to the lake's naturally red color. There are a number of resorts around the lake and water sports are popular. There is a variety of wildlife around the lake, which include hippos, monkeys, baboons, warthogs, and a huge variety of birds. The area around the lake is largely deforested, however, and a large number of pastoral rural people live around the area.

Two earthquakes had their epicenter near this lake, the first in 1906 (a magnitude 6.8 on the Richter scale), and the second in 1985 (magnitude 6.2). [ [http://www.mediaethiopia.com/Engineering/EarthquakeHazard_ET.htm "Earthquake Risks in Addis Ababa and other Major Ethiopian Cities - Will the Country be Caught Off-guarded?"] by Dr. Samuel Kinde, published March 2002 (accessed 4 June 2008)]

In the 1970s, the Ethiopia Scout Association established a new training and camping center at Lake Langano.

Notes