Lac Abbe Location: 11.15° N, 41.89° E Elevation: 227 m Lac Abbe is a salt lake lying on the Ethiopia-  Djibouti border. Lac Abbe is the ultimate  destination of the waters of the Awash River. Lake  Abbe lies at the Afar Triple Junction, the central  meeting place for the three pieces of the Earth’s  crust, a defining feature of the Afar Depression;  here three pieces of Earth’s crust are each pulling  away from that central point, though not all at the  same speed. On the northwest shore rises Mount  Dama Ali (1069 m), a dormant volcano, while  along the southwestern and southern shores  extend vastsalt flats, 10 kilometers in width.  Although the present area of the lake's open  water is 34,000 ha , recent droughts and  extraction of water from the Awash for irrigation  has caused the water level of the lake to fall five meters. Lake Abbe is known for its limestone-  chimneys, which reach heights of 50 meters and from which steam vents. The shore of lake Abbe is  occupied by the nomadic Afar people, while the lake is also known for its flamingos.  click on pictures to enlarge HOME