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Lake Toba facts for kids

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Toba zoom
This satellite image shows Lake Toba. It is about 100 km long and 30 km wide. The lake fills a giant hole left by a supervolcano.
Lake Toba location
This map shows where Lake Toba is located in Indonesia.

Lake Toba is a very large lake in Indonesia. It sits inside a huge bowl-shaped hole called a caldera. This caldera was formed by a supervolcano, which is a volcano that can have extremely powerful eruptions.

Lake Toba is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) long and 30 kilometers (19 miles) wide. At its deepest point, it goes down 505 meters (1,657 feet). This makes it the largest lake in Indonesia. It is also the biggest volcanic lake in the entire world!

The lake is located in the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is high up, about 900 meters (2,953 feet) above sea level.

What is a Supervolcano?

A supervolcano is a type of volcano that can cause the biggest and most explosive eruptions on Earth. When a supervolcano erupts, it can change the climate around the world. Lake Toba is famous because it was formed by one of these giant eruptions.

The Toba Eruption

About 74,000 years ago, the Toba supervolcano had a massive eruption. It was one of the largest volcanic events in Earth's history. This eruption created the huge caldera that Lake Toba now fills.

Scientists believe this eruption might have caused a "volcanic winter." This means a lot of ash and gas went into the air, blocking sunlight. This would have made temperatures drop around the world for several years.

Life Around Lake Toba

Today, Lake Toba is a beautiful and peaceful place. Many people live around the lake, especially the Batak people. They have a unique culture and traditional houses.

The area around Lake Toba is also a popular place for tourists. Visitors can enjoy the stunning views, explore the local villages, and learn about the Batak culture. There are also waterfalls and other natural attractions nearby.

Related pages

Images for kids

  • Lake Toba, North Sumatra (71)

    Batu Gantung (Hanging stone) in Lake Toba

  • Map of Lake Toba

    Map of the lake

  • Toba overview

    Landsat photo of Sumatra surrounding Lake Toba

  • COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Batak prauwen bij Haranggaol aan het Tobameer TMnr 60043981

    Batak canoes near Haranggaol on Lake Toba (circa 1920)

  • Lake Toba Aerial View

    Lake Toba Aerial View

  • LakeTobaSEShore

    Aerial view of the southern shore with Sibandang Island visible in the background

  • AmbaritaView

    View of the lake with an example of Batak architecture in the foreground

  • Tradbatakhouse

    Traditional Batak house at Ambarita, Lake Toba

  • Air terjun sipiso-piso

    Sipiso-Piso Waterfall

  • DanauToba20110608-1

    Lake Toba from Tongging Village, near Sipiso-Piso Waterfall

  • Indonesia 1992 1000r o

    Lake Toba featured in 1,000-rupiah banknote

  • COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Houtsnijwerk op de voorsteven van een Toba Batak prauw Tobameer TMnr 10017614

    Details of carvings on the prow of a Toba Batak canoe

  • A partial view of Toba Lake

    A panoramic partial view of Toba Lake, as seen from the west side to the southeast


See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lago Toba para niños

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