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Lake Managua

 

Lake, western Nicaragua. It occupies an area of 400 sq mi (1,035 sq km), extending 36 mi (58 km) long and 16 mi (25 km) wide. Located north of the city of Managua, it is fed by numerous streams rising in the central highlands and is drained by the Tipitapa River, which flows into Lake Nicaragua. Momotombo Volcano (4,199 ft [1,280 m]) is on the northwestern shore.

For more information on Lake Managua, visit Britannica.com.

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Wikipedia: Lake Managua
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Lake Managua
Lago de Managua
Lago Xolotlán
Lake Managua  Lago de Managua  Lago Xolotlán - From space (January 1986). North is to the left
From space (January 1986). North is to the left
Coordinates 12°20′N 86°25′W / 12.333°N 86.417°W / 12.333; -86.417Coordinates: 12°20′N 86°25′W / 12.333°N 86.417°W / 12.333; -86.417
Basin  countries Nicaragua
Max. length 65 km
Max. width 25 km
Surface area 1,024 km²
Average depth 9.5 m
Max. depth 20 m
Surface  elevation 39 m
Settlements Managua

Lake Managua (also known as Lake Xolotlán) (located at 12°20′N 86°25′W / 12.333°N 86.417°W / 12.333; -86.417) is a lake in Nicaragua. The Spanish name is Lago de Managua or Lago Xolotlán. At 1,042 km², it is approximately 65 kilometres (40 miles) long and 25 kilometres (15 miles) wide. Similarly to the name of Lake Nicaragua, its name was coined by the Spanish conquerors from "Mangue" (their name for the Mánkeme tribes) and agua ("water"). The city of Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, lies on its southwestern shore.

The lake has been severely polluted, in part by Kodak dumping mercury into the lake in the 1950s, but mostly by decades of sewage being dumped into the lake. Despite the pollution, some of the people of Managua still live along the lake's shores and eat the fish.

It rose 3 metres (10 ft) in five days during Hurricane Mitch in 1998, destroying the homes of many who lived on its edge.

It is also joined by the Tipitapa River to another lake, Lake Nicaragua; however, owing to the extreme pollution, the Bull sharks of Lake Nicaragua cannot migrate to Lake Managua[citation needed]. In 2007 the "malecón" area was dredged and the sediment hauled off on barges. A strong odor which permeated the area from the sediment disappeared. A stone rip-rap and concrete wharf was constructed and a sight seeing boat called "La Novia de Xolotlán" makes hour-long lake tours when there are sufficient tourists.

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Learn More
León (city of western Nicaragua)
Managua (capital and largest city of Nicaragua)
Lake Nicaragua (lake, Nicaragua)

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lake Managua" Read more