Lake Sonfon

Where is Lake Sonfon?

Countries on its shores: Sierra Leone.

Largest lake of: Sierra Leone.

Middle of the lake: 9.25° N, 11.50° W

The story behind it

Seven small streams bring water into Lake Sonfon. At its southern end, the water flows out and becomes the start of the Pampana River. The lake lies about 60 kilometres south of the town of Kabala. For the people living nearby, the lake is holy. They hold ceremonies there and float gifts such as rice and other food on the water in calabashes, which are bowls made from dried gourds. Around the lake, scientists have found 105 kinds of birds, among them a shiny starling called the iris glossy-starling. The rare pygmy hippopotamus, a small relative of the big hippo, lives here too. But the lake is in danger. There is gold in the ground, and about 15 000 miners dig for it nearby. This mining is making the water level of the lake go down. People have suggested protecting the area, but in 2011 it was not yet protected.

Find it on the globe

Lake Sonfon is there as a small blue dot with its name, right on the water. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.

It sits at its real coordinates, not near them — the same numbers listed in the facts above. Switch off the layer for this kind of place and it disappears again; the buttons for that are down the right-hand edge.