Atitlan Lake - Guatemala

Atitlan lake is surrounded by many mountains and volcanoes

Lake Atitlán is a large endorheic lake in the Guatemalan Highlands. The deepest lake in Central America. Estimates of its maximum depth range up to 340 meters. The lake is shaped by deep escarpments which surround it by at least three volcanoes. Is further characterized by towns and villages of the Maya people.

The lake is volcanic in origin, filling an enormous caldera formed in an eruption 84,000 years ago. The region first saw volcanic activity about 11 million years ago, and since then has seen four separate episodes of volcanic growth and caldera collapse, the most recent of which began about 1.8 million years ago and culminated in the formation of the present caldera. The lake now fills a large part of the caldera, reaching depths of up to 600 metres.

The caldera-forming eruption is known as Los Chocoyos eruption, and ejected up to 300 km3 (72 cu mi) of tephra. The enormous eruption dispersed ash over an area of some 6 million km²

The lake basin supports extensive coffee growth and a variety of farm crops, most notably corn. Other significant agricultural products include onions, beans, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, chile verde, strawberries, potatoes and pitahaya fruit.

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