| Site number: | 1060 |
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| Type of site: | Natural | |
| Date of Inscription: | 2011 | |
| Location: | Africa, Kenya, Great Rift Valley | |
| Description: | The Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley , a natural property of outstanding beauty, comprises three inter-linked relatively shallow lakes (Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Elementaita) in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya and covers a total area of 32,034 hectares. The property is home to 13 globally threatened bird species and some of the highest bird diversities in the world. It is the single most important foraging site for the lesser flamingo anywhere, and a major nesting and breeding ground for great white pelicans. The property features sizeable mammal populations, including black rhino, Rothschild's giraffe, greater kudu, lion, cheetah and wild dogs and is valuable for the study of ecological processes of major importance.
The Rift Valley lakes are a group of lakes in the Great Rift Valley formed by the East African Rift which runs through the whole eastern side of the African continent from north to south. These lakes include some of the oldest, largest and deepest lakes in the world, and many are freshwater ecoregions of great biodiversity, while others are alkaline or soda lakes supporting highly specialised organisms. The Rift Valley Lakes are well known for the evolution of at least 800 cichlid fish species that live in their waters. More species will be discovered. The World Wildlife Fund has designated the African Rift Valley lakes one of its Global 200 priority ecoregions for conservation.
South of the Ethiopian highlands, the rift valley splits into two major troughs. The Eastern Rift is home to the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes, while most of the Central African Rift Valley lakes lie in the Western Rift. The Kenyan section of the Rift Valley is home to eight lakes, of which 3 are freshwater and the rest alkaline. Of the latter, the shallow soda lakes of the Eastern Rift Valley have crystallised salt turning the shores white, and are famous for the large flocks of flamingo that feed on crustaceans. These eight lakes are: 1. Lake Turkana (6405 km², elevation 360 m, freshwater) is the largest of the Kenyan lakes, on the border of Kenya and Ethiopia, 2. Lake Logipi is a shallow hot-spring fed soda lake in the Suguta Valley just south of Lake Turkana, 3. Lake Baringo (80 sq miles, elevation 1000 m) freshwater, second largest of the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes, 4. Lake Bogoria (34 km², elevation 990 m) shallow soda lake, a national preserve, 5. Lake Nakuru (40 km², elevation 1759 m) shallow soda lake, has been a national park since 1968, 6. Lake Elmenteita, shallow soda lake, 7. Lake Naivasha (160 km² — varies somewhat with rainfall, elevation 1,890 m), freshwater lake, is the highest in this group, and 8. Lake Magadi, shallow soda lake near the southern border with Tanzania. --WHMNet's description is from WHC Site, where additional information is available. |
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| The Rift Valley lakes are a group of lakes in the Great Rift Valley formed by the East African Rift which runs through the whole eastern side of the African continent from north to south. These lakes include some of the oldest, largest and deepest lakes in the world, and many are freshwater ecoregions of great biodiversity, while others are alkaline or soda lakes supporting highly specialised organisms. The Rift Valley Lakes are well known for the evolution of at least 800 cichlid fish species that live in their waters. More species will be discovered. The World Wildlife Fund has designated the African Rift Valley lakes one of its Global 200 priority ecoregions for conservation.
South of the Ethiopian highlands, the rift valley splits into two major troughs. The Eastern Rift is home to the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes, while most of the Central African Rift Valley lakes lie in the Western Rift. The Kenyan section of the Rift Valley is home to eight lakes, of which 3 are freshwater and the rest alkaline. Of the latter, the shallow soda lakes of the Eastern Rift Valley have crystallised salt turning the shores white, and are famous for the large flocks of flamingo that feed on crustaceans. These eight lakes are: 1. Lake Turkana (6405 km², elevation 360 m, freshwater) is the largest of the Kenyan lakes, on the border of Kenya and Ethiopia, 2. Lake Logipi is a shallow hot-spring fed soda lake in the Suguta Valley just south of Lake Turkana, 3. Lake Baringo (80 sq miles, elevation 1000 m) freshwater, second largest of the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes, 4. Lake Bogoria (34 km², elevation 990 m) shallow soda lake, a national preserve, 5. Lake Nakuru (40 km², elevation 1759 m) shallow soda lake, has been a national park since 1968, 6. Lake Elmenteita, shallow soda lake, 7. Lake Naivasha (160 km² — varies somewhat with rainfall, elevation 1,890 m), freshwater lake, is the highest in this group, and 8. Lake Magadi, shallow soda lake near the southern border with Tanzania. --Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. |
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| Source: | http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1060 | |
| Reference: | 1. UNESCO World Heritage Center (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1060). 2. Wikipedia. | |