In Indonesia there are at least 800 lakes, some of which are recorded to have a larger surface area than others. Curious which lake is the widest in Indonesia and where is it located? Check out the short explanation below!
The Ministry of Environment noted that Indonesia has more than 800 lakes that can accommodate 72 percent of surface water supplies. Some of them are the largest lakes in Indonesia, which you can read about in this article.
You may already know one of them, namely Toba which is the number one largest lake in Indonesia. The lake, which is located in North Sumatra Province, was formed naturally from a volcanic eruption.
Besides Toba, there are other lakes that you need to know the extent of to make it listed as one of the largest and most extensive in the country. Who knows, the location turns out to be close to where you live.
Instead of being curious, just look at the following information about the largest lake in Indonesia. Hopefully the information below will not only increase your knowledge, but can also be a vacation reference for those of you who like to travel. Happy reading!
1. Toba
Toba is the number one largest lake in Indonesia with a surface area of about 1,130 km². The lake, which is located in the middle of North Sumatra, is also touted as the largest volcanic lake in the world.
That said, the basin was formed from a volcanic eruption that erupted more than 70 thousand years BC. The eruption is considered the largest on Earth, so it is said to be the trigger for an ice age (the time when Earth’s temperature drops and causes the amount of ice at the poles to increase).
Researchers from Michigan Technological University, Bill Rose and Craig Chesner estimated, the total amount of eruptive material reached 2,800 km. As a result, there was mass death and the extinction of several species of living things, as well as shrinking about 60 percent of the total human population on Earth at that time which was approximately 60 million humans.
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2. Towuti
Towuti is located in South Sulawesi Province, precisely in East Luwu Regency. One of the largest lakes in Indonesia, the surface area is approximately 561.1 km². The surrounding area is part of the Natural Tourism Park area managed by the South Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency.
The lake, which is between 1-4 million years old, was formed from faults caused by tectonic activity. Interestingly, in the middle of the surface there are several small islands, including Loeha, Bolong, and Pulau Kembar.
In addition, research from ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology), LIPI (Indonesian Institute of Sciences), and Brown University (UK) also noted that Towuti is the oldest ancient lake in Indonesia. In it there is endemic biodiversity, such as shellfish, crabs, shrimp, sharp-finned fish, and butini fish that live on the bottom of the lake.
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3. Tempe
Based on its area, which is around 350 km², Lake Tempe is also listed as one of the largest in Indonesia. It is located in three sub-districts, namely Tempe, Belawa, Tanah Sitolo, Maniangpajo, and Sabbangparu sub-districts in Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi.
The depth is only about 5 meters (m), but there are freshwater fish species that are rarely found elsewhere. The diversity of fish species is influenced by its location above the meeting of the plates of the Australian and Asian continents. The meeting of the two plates allows for the mixing of fauna typical of the two continents.
Not only that, there is famous for the Maccera Tappareng celebration which is often held by the local community. The celebration which aims to purify the lake is marked by slaughtering animals (usually cows), then followed by several ornamental boat competitions or unique folk games that can attract tourists.
4. Poso
Furthermore, there is Lake Poso which is also included one of the lakes largest in Indonesia with a surface area of about 323.2 km². It is named Poso because it is located in Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi.
Poso is also recorded as the third deepest lake in Indonesia with a maximum depth of 450 m and capable of holding 216 gigaliter of water. Inside there are various types of aquatic animals, especially rare fish. In fact, there are also endemic fish species, such as Andiranichthys, Numberhamphus celebensis, Oryzias nebulosusas well as Mugilogobius amadi.
Not only in the water, the forest area that surrounds it also stores a variety of flora and fauna. For example, wild orchids in the area near Bancea Village, as well as anoa (forest cattle) and deer pigs which are said to be endemic animals in Sulawesi that are almost extinct.
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5. Matano
Located in South Sulawesi, Matano is one of the largest lakes in Indonesia with a surface area of 164.1 km². According to WWF, Matano is also the deepest tectonic lake in Southeast Asia and is ranked 8th worldwide with a depth of up to 590 m.
Similar to Towuti, Matano is also the oldest lake in Indonesia which was formed from faults due to tectonic activity. The place which is estimated to be between 1-4 million years old is protected as a conservation area and also used as a tourist/recreation location.
Interestingly, this place is also listed in the WWF Global Ecoregions list because it has endemic ecosystems and biodiversity. In addition, it is rich in iron content which is geologically indicated by the red soil. In fact, along its margins where the soil appears black, it is said to have been used for kilns and smelters of iron in the 14th century C.E.
6. Paniai
As the name implies, this lake is located in East Paniai, Paniai Regency, Papua. Lake Paniai is one of the largest in Indonesia with a surface area of 154 km² and its shores are surrounded by mountains and beautiful high cliffs.
Its beauty has been recognized internationally in the World Lakes Conference which was attended by 157 countries on November 30, 2007. No wonder the area has become a mainstay tourist attraction in Paniai Regency.
In addition to its natural appearance, Paniai is also filled with various types of freshwater fish and shrimp. Among the various types of biodiversity, there are rainbow fish species that are widely hunted and sought after by fishermen and fish lovers (collectors) because of their high economic value.
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7. Japan
One of the largest lakes in Indonesia is Jempang which has a surface area of approximately 150 km². This area, which is located in West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, is not a tectonic lake, but is formed due to a basin in flat land that is flooded with water.
One of the attractions of this lake is its beautiful natural scenery. There is also rich in flora and fauna. In addition, its existence through which the Mahakam River flows also makes it one of the favorite tourist destinations in East Kalimantan.
8. Rombebai
Furthermore, there is Rombebai which is also one of the largest lakes in Indonesia with an area of 137.49 km². Rombebai is located in Papua, 20 km from the Pacific Ocean and is close to the Mamberano River.
Although it is located quite far from the sea and the water is fresh, it is reported that sharks have been found in the area. Perhaps, the flow of the Mamberano River is the link between Rombebai and Samudra Pacific lah which allows sharks to accidentally swim up to the lake.
The specialty of this place is that it is surrounded by abundant natural gas blocks. The natural gas is managed by an oil and gas exploration company based in Australia.
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9. Semayang
Not far from Jempang, Semayang is also located in the Mahakam River watershed. Its surface which has an area of 130 km² makes Semayang one of the largest lakes in Indonesia.
Semayang has a fairly high biodiversity and its people are famous for their profession as fish entrepreneurs. They mostly use the catch of fish to be marketed raw, but some are already processed.
On the other hand, Semayang has a uniqueness that makes it one of the interesting tourist attractions in East Kalimantan. The uniqueness is that the local people use boats as the main means of transportation to move from one place to another.
10. Singkarak
The largest lake in Indonesia is Singkarak, which is located in West Sumatra. Its surface area is 107.8 km², which stretches between two districts, namely Solok and Tanah Datar.
Singkarak is formed from tectonic activity influenced by a fault called the Sumatran Fault. The basin appeared after a shift in the Sumatran Fault which caused some of the land to sink, while the edges were formed from volcanic volcanic material.
Just like other lakes, Singkarak also contains a lot of aquatic biota in it. In fact, the water habitat in Singkarak supports the development and growth of small organisms, such as plankton and benthos.
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Does this Information about the Largest Lake in Indonesia Help You?
Presumably, that’s a bit of information related to the largest lake in Indonesia that you need to know. Perhaps, after reading this article you are motivated to want to travel to a location to simply enjoy its natural beauty.
If so, it’s a good idea to save first because if you live in Java, it will cost more to go to places located outside the island. Just a suggestion, you can try to visit Lake Toba which is the largest number one in Indonesia first before going to other locations.
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