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All Djibouti Lake Abbe

Lake Abbe

A salt lake dotted with steaming limestone chimneys.

Djibouti

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Situated in the middle of the hot and hellish Afar Depression, Lake Abbe stretches six miles in width and is covered in clusters of massive, steam-blasting limestone chimneys.

Although Lake Abbe is the ultimate destination for Ethiopia's Awash River, its dry landscape absorbs the water, and the area is a vast landscape of salt flats. Besides Mount Dama Ali, a small dormant volcano, the landscape is almost completely level, and the steaming, sulphuric vents lend the region an apocalyptic, and Tatooine-like look.

Some of the vents stretch as high as 150 feet into the air, and make the lake visible from miles around. Despite the hellish climate near Lake Abbe, nomadic Afar shepherds live in the area, along with a surprising population of flamingos.

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Natural Wonders Martian Landscapes Geological Oddities Ecosystems Geology Nature

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Added By

serflac

Edited By

aribrown, atimian, Ursula

  • aribrown
  • atimian
  • Ursula

Published

January 26, 2012

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Lake Abbe
Lake Abhe
Djibouti
11.198683, 41.780548

Nearby Places

Hadar Archaeological Site

Shinile, Ethiopia

miles away

Lac Assal

Tadjourah, Djibouti

miles away

The Afar Rift

Afar Zone 1, Ethiopia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Djibouti

Djibouti

Africa

Places 2

Nearby Places

Hadar Archaeological Site

Shinile, Ethiopia

miles away

Lac Assal

Tadjourah, Djibouti

miles away

The Afar Rift

Afar Zone 1, Ethiopia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Djibouti

Djibouti

Africa

Places 2

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