Amadeus, Lake

Amadeus, Lake əmăˈdēəs [key], large, usually dry, shallow salt lake, 340 sq mi (881 sq km), 76 mi (122 km) long, 12 mi (19 km) wide, SW Northern Territory, Australia. The lakebed is usually covered with a thick crust of white salt crystals, but during periods of heavy rain can contain a few inches of water. The lake was formed by sediment from the neighboring MacDonnell and Musgrave ranges. It was named (1872) for King Amadeus of Spain, by the explorer Ernest Giles.

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