Awash River
The Awash is a major Ethiopian river. It flows entirely within Ethiopian territory and empties into a chain of interconnected lakes beginning with Lake Gargori and ending with Lake Abbe (or Abhe Bad) on the border with Djibouti, about 100 kilometers (60 or 70 miles) from the mouth of the Gulf of Tadjoura. It is the main stream of an endorheic drainage basin that encompasses parts of the Amhara, Oromia, and Somali Regions, as well as the southern half of the Afar Region. According to Huntingford, the Awash River was known as the Great Dir River in the 16th century and flowed through Muslim territory.
The Awash Valley (particularly the Middle Awash) is internationally renowned for its abundance of hominin fossils, which provide unparalleled insight into the early evolution of humans. One of the most well-known early hominin fossils, "Lucy," was discovered in the lower Awash Valley. The lower valley of the Awash was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980 for its paleontological and anthropological significance.
Length: 1200 km (746 mi)
