Lake Tana

Lake Tana
West-looking photograph of Lake Tana from space (April 1991)
Lake Tana
Location	East Africa
Coordinates	12°0′N 37°15′E / 12.000°N 37.250°E / 12.000; 37.250
Primary inflows	Gilgel Abay, Kilti River, Magech River, Reb River, Gumara River
Primary outflows	Blue Nile
Basin countries	Ethiopia
Max. length	84 km (52 mi)
Max. width	66 km (41 mi)
Surface area	3,200 km2 (1,200 sq mi)
Max. depth	15 m (49 ft)
Surface elevation	1,788 m (5,866 ft)
Islands	The most important are Tana Qirqos, Daga Island, Dek Island, and Mitraha
Settlements	Bahir Dar, Gorgora

Lake Tana (Amharic: ጣና ሐይቅ, romanized: T’ana ḥāyik’i; previously Tsana^[1]) is the largest lake in Ethiopia and a source of the Blue Nile. Located in Amhara Region in the north-western Ethiopian Highlands, the lake is approximately 84 kilometres (52 miles) long and 66 kilometres (41 miles) wide, with a maximum depth of 15 metres (49 feet),^[2] and an elevation of 1,788 metres (5,866 feet).^[3] Lake Tana is fed by the Gilgel Abay, Reb and Gumara rivers. Its surface area ranges from 3,000 to 3,500 square kilometres (1,200 to 1,400 square miles), depending on season and rainfall. The lake level has been regulated since the construction of the control weir where the lake discharges into the Blue Nile. This controls the flow to the Blue Nile Falls (Tis Abbai) and hydro-power station.

In 2015, the Lake Tana region was nominated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve recognizing its national and international natural and cultural importance.^[4]