Lakes of Indonesia

This is a list of the notable lakes of Indonesia. Indonesia has 521 natural lakes and over 100 reservoirs, covering approximately 21,000 km². The total volume of water held is approximately 500 km³. The largest lake, by both area and volume, is Lake Toba in Sumatra. It holds 240 km³ of freshwater, and is largest lake body in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia has 3 of the 20 deepest lakes in the world - Lake Matano in Sulawesi (590 m), Lake Toba in Sumatra (529 m) and Lake Poso in Sulawesi (450 m). The only lake in Indonesia having a cryptodepression (the bottom of the lake is below sea level) is Lake Matano.

The lakes and reservoirs supply water for personal and commercial uses, and support economic activities like fisheries, hydropower, irrigation, transport, and recreation. They assist in preventing floods, and are important ecological entities.

Read more about Lakes Of Indonesia:  Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, Western New Guinea

Famous quotes containing the word lakes:

    Such were the first rude beginnings of a town. They spoke of the practicability of a winter road to the Moosehead Carry, which would not cost much, and would connect them with steam and staging and all the busy world. I almost doubted if the lake would be there,—the self-same lake,—preserve its form and identity, when the shores should be cleared and settled; as if these lakes and streams which explorers report never awaited the advent of the citizen.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)