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Lower Valley of the Awash 1
Lower Valley of the Awash 2
Lower Valley of the Awash 3
Lower Valley of the Awash 4
Lower Valley of the Awash 5
© UNESCO World Heritage Centre
UNESCO WHCCulturalInscribed 1980

Lower Valley of the Awash

Overview

The Awash valley contains one of the most important groupings of palaeontological sites on the African continent. The remains found at the site, the oldest of which date back at least 4 million years, provide evidence of human evolution which has modified our conception of the history of humankind. The most spectacular discovery came in 1974, when 52 fragments of a skeleton enabled the famous Lucy to be reconstructed.

About Lower Valley of the Awash

The Awash River is a major river of Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia and empties into a chain of interconnected lakes that begins with Lake Gargori and ends with Lake Abbe on the border with Djibouti, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the head of the Gulf of Tadjoura. The Awash River is the principal stream of an endorheic drainage basin covering parts of the Amhara, Oromia and Somali Regions, as well as the southern half of the Afar Region. The Awash River basin, spanning 23 administrative zones, covers 10% of Ethiopia's area.

Read more on Wikipedia

Selection Criteria

(ii)(iii)(iv)

Components(1 location)

Details

Countries
Ethiopia
ISO Codes
ET
Coordinates
11.1001, 40.5794
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Lower Valley of the Awash

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Lower Valley of the Awash

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Lower Valley of the Awash