Lake lanao or RANAO

Lake Lanao or Ranao^[1] is a large lake in the Philippines, located in Lanao del Sur province in the country's southern island of Mindanao. With a surface area of 340 km². (131 square miles), it is the largest lake in Mindanao, and the second largest lake in the Philippines and counted as one of the 15 ancient lakes in the world.

The lake was formed by the tectonic-volcanic damming of a basin between two mountain ranges and the collapse of a large volcano. It has a maximum depth of 112 meters, and a mean depth of 60.3 meters. The basin is shallowest towards the north and gets progressively deeper towards the south.

The lake is fed by four rivers. Its only outlet is the Agus River, which flows southwest into Iligan Bay via two channels, one over the Maria Cristina Falls and the other over the Linamon Falls. A hydroelectric plant installed on the Lanao Lake and Agus River system generates 70% of the electricity used by the people of Mindanao.

The lake is home to 18 endemic species of freshwater fish and supports a large number of waterfowl. ^[1] In October 2006, a study from the Mindanao State University discovered massive algae contamination in Lake Lanao^[2]. Initially, poor sewage and agricultural waste management were seen as the culprit to the contamination. However, the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources stated that soil erosion from indiscriminate logging and extensive land use and farming are the problems that caused the algae contamination.

A Maranao myth describes the formation of the lake^[1][3]. It is said that a group of angels under the command of Gabriel removed the vast population of Mantapoli to prevent the world from tipping over. The hole that was left was filled with water and threatened to drown the rest of the world. In response, the angels enlisted the help of the Four Winds to gouge out an outlet. The hole became Lake Lanao and the outlet became the Agus river.

Lake Lanao is the main attraction here. It is the deepest lake in the archipelago and is considered one of the oldest lakes on the planet. Ornate mosques dot the shores of the lake, while the surrounding countryside is strewn with farmland and a few ancient torogan houses. These structures have high, sloping roofs.

Feeding the lake is the Agus River, the fastest flowing river in the Philippines. Boating is possible along certain segments of the river, but there isn't much infrastructure for tourists. The scenery along the river is outstanding.

Moncado Colony is another highlight of Marawi C

ity. Named for an author and humanities professor, the park has a few monuments and sculptures that may be of interest to visitors. More cultural exhibits are found at Aga Khan Museum on Mindanao State University's campu

s.

The entire island of Mindanao gets a lot of bad

press regarding conflicts between the governm

ent and Muslim separatists. While problems

are rare, tourists tend to stay away, so that

those who do come have the sites to the live.