Lake Güija is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. The lake is situated on the border between Guatemala and El Salvador and has an area of 45 km², of which approximately 32 km² lies in El Salvador. The lake is of volcanic origin and was formed by a large

basaltic Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of a ...

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

flow from Volcán de San Diego in the

San Diego volcanic field The San Diego volcanic field is an extensive volcanic field on the El Salvador–Guatemala border of Central America. It consists of a group of basaltic cinder cones and lava flows, with the largest feature being Volcán de San Diego after which ...

which blocked the Güija depression's original drainage. Lake Güija is fed by the Ostúa, Angue and Cusmapa rivers and is drained on its southeastern side by the río Desagüe, a tributary of the río Lempa. The lake is surrounded by the volcanic cones of the Mita, San Diego and Cerro Quemado. The Salvadoran side of the lake has several small isles: Teotipa, Cerro de Tule and Iguatepec, where a substantial number of

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...

céramics have been discovered since excavations started in 1924. Bosque San Diego La Barra lies on the eastern side of the lake.

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Tentative List on September 21, 1992, in the Mixed (Cultural + Natural) category.Lake Guija - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
/ref>

References

External links

Lago de Güija

San Diego Volcano

Tentative list UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Metapán
Guija Guija El Salvador–Guatemala border Guija Ramsar sites in El Salvador Geography of the Jutiapa Department Lava dammed lakes {{ElSalvador-geo-stub