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Lake Dziani

Dziani Dzaha or Lake Dzaha, (Dziani meaning "lake" in Shimaoré and dzaha "crater") is a lake located to the north of the island of Petite-Terre.

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The lake is almost circular in shape, measuring 660 meters long by 400 wide, for an area of 45 hectares. Its average depth is 4 meters, with a deep trench of 18 meters, but not connected to the ocean (nearly 100 meters).

Dziani Dzaha is part of the commune of Dzaoudzi, and constitutes a protected natural site which depends on the Coastal Conservatory.

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This is a crater lake (“ maar "), which was formed between 4,000 and 7,000 years ago, the date of the last explosion of the volcano, now extinct (even if there remains an active magma chamber under the island).

Unlike the rest of the island (mainly basaltic), a large part of the walls are made up of light-colored volcanic ash, accumulated in horizontal layers.

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