An ancient meteorite landed in the Ashanti Region and the lake was born. He lake was said to be discovered by a hunter who chased an antelope into the lake. It is believed that the lake received the antelope like it was trying to save it from the hunter. That is why the lake is called the Antelope God Lake till today. This history makes the lake a very sacred lake to the Ashants. About 70,000 people live in the villages that surround the lake. Lake Bosumtwi is the only natural lake in Ghana. It is situated within an ancient impact crater that is about 10.5 kilometres in diameter. It is about 30 km south-east of Kumasi, the capital of Ashanti, and is a popular recreational area. There are about 30 villages near the crater lake of Lake Bosumtwi, with a combined population of about 70,000. The most popular amongst the villages where tourists usually settle is Abono. The Ashanti consider Bosumtwi a sacred lake. According to traditional belief, the souls of the dead come here to bid farewell to the goddess Asase Ya. Because of this, it is considered permissible to fish in the lake only from wooden planks. Among the fish species in the lake is the endemic cichlid Hemichromis frempongi, and the near-endemic cichlids Tilapia busumana and T. discolor.