Democratia-Aqua-Technica
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Lake Bosomtwe
Lake Bosomtwe is one of the six meteoritic lakes in the world. It is the only natural lake in Ghana specifically located in the Ashanti Region. It is situated within an ancient impact crater that is about 10.5 kilometers (6.5 mi) in diameter. The depth of crater is approximately 380 m (1,250 ft), but, if counted together with the depth of lake sediments – 750 m (2,460 ft).
Before the asteroid impact, the area was a lush rainforest filled with animals. Following the impact, the resulting crater filled with water forming Lake Bosomtwe. Periods of heavy rainfall filled the crater with water, causing the lake level to rise above the lowest points of the rim. Such periods are evidenced from fossils of fish found on hilltops. Water even flowed from the basin through an overflow channel. However, there were also times when the water level was so low that the rainforest entered the basin rendering the lake only a small pond. Such a period, according to legend and now proved by paleoclimate records, lasted until about 300 years ago.
Task: Lake Bosomtwe
It is about 30 km (19 mi) south-east of Kumasi, the capital of Ashanti, and is a popular recreational area. There are about 30 villages near the crater lake of Lake Bosomtwe, with a combined population of about 70,000. The most popular amongst the villages where tourists usually settle is Abono. The southernmost section of the site overlaps the northern section of the Bosomtwe Range Forest Reserve creating a combination of forest, wetland and mountain ecosystems. The biosphere reserve sustains 35 tree species, including some used for timber. The area is widely used for research, especially on climate change, as well as environmental education for schools and universities.
Answer the question: What is the diameter of the Lake Bosomtwe?
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