The Blue Nile begins at which lake in Ethiopia?

The Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. The lake lies in the northwestern Ethiopian Highlands, in the Amhara Region, and its outflow becomes the Blue Nile, known locally as the Abay River.

Lake Tana is Ethiopia’s largest lake, covering roughly 3,000–3,200 square kilometres depending on rainfall and season. Several rivers feed it, including the Gilgel Abay, Gumara, Rib and Megech. From the lake, the Blue Nile flows over the Blue Nile Falls before cutting through a deep canyon toward Sudan.

A common mix-up concerns the river’s ultimate source. The Blue Nile’s headwaters are often identified at Gish Abay, southwest of Lake Tana, while Lake Tana is the major lake from which the river emerges. Thus, for a question specifically asking which lake the Blue Nile begins at, Lake Tana is the standard quiz answer.

The Blue Nile later joins the White Nile at Khartoum, Sudan, forming the Nile’s main stem. During Ethiopia’s rainy season, it supplies most of the Nile’s water and carries heavy sediment downstream.