Lake Turkana << `tur` KAN uh >> is a long, narrow lake in east-central Africa. Most of it lies in northern Kenya. Its northern tip extends into southern Ethiopia. The lake is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) long and 25 miles (40 kilometers) wide, and it covers 2,473 square miles (6,405 square kilometers).
Lake Turkana is known for its plentiful supply of large fish, especially Nile perch. Turkana people inhabit the shore and fish and raise livestock for a living. Many Nile crocodiles breed in the Lake Turkana area. Sibiloi National Park, on the lake’s east shore, includes the Koobi Fora region, which contains fossils of early human beings and prehuman ancestors. The lake’s chief source of water is the Omo River, which flows south from the Ethiopian highlands. The lake has no outlet, and the region’s hot, dry climate causes a high rate of fresh water evaporation. As a result, the lake’s water is slightly salty.
The African people in the area near the lake called it Basso Narok (Dark Water). The first Europeans to reach the lake were part of an 1888 expedition from Austria-Hungary. The leader of the group was Samuel Teleki, a Hungarian count. Teleki named the body of water Lake Rudolf, in honor of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary. The lake is still sometimes called Lake Rudolf. It is also sometimes called the Jade Sea because of blue-green algae in the water.
