Lake Chad
Cameroon · Africa
About
Lake Chad (Arabic: بحيرة تشاد, Kanuri: Sádǝ, French: Lac Tchad) is an endorheic freshwater lake located at the junction of four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, in western and central Africa respectively, with a catchment area in excess of 1,000,000 km2 (390,000 sq mi). It is an important wetland ecosystem in West-Central Africa. The lake is rich in aquatic resources and is one of the important freshwater fish- producing areas in Africa.
Lake Chad is divided into deeper southern parts and shallower northern parts. The lake's main sources of water are rivers such as the Chari River. The water level varies greatly seasonally, and the area of the lake also changes dramatically. In the 19th century, it still had an area of 28,000 km2 (11,000 sq mi). However, due to climate change and human water diversion, it has shrunk significantly since the mid-1970s, and its area has fluctuated between 2,000 and 5,000 km2 (770 and 1,930 sq mi).
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.