CHRISSIE, LAKE

Afrikaans Chrissiesmeer, shallow freshwater lake, Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The largest natural body of freshwater in the country, it measures about 6 miles (9 km) long and 2 miles (3 km) wide and has a circumference of 14 miles (25 km). Its surface area and depth (maximum 20 feet ) vary seasonally. The lake lies in the farming region known as New Scotland, which was settled about 1866 by Alexander McCorkindale. He named the lake for Christina, daughter of Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, then president of the South African Republic. The area had previously been known by the Swazis as Kachibibi (Big Lake) and by the Boers as Matotoland. Lake Chrissie is noted for its birdlife and herds of blesbok at the water's edge. The town of Chrissiesmeer lies on the northern shore of the lake.