Ishtar Terra

Ishtar Terra
	Topography of Ishtar Terra
Feature type	Terra
Coordinates	70°24′N 27°30′E / 70.4°N 27.5°ECoordinates: 70°24′N 27°30′E / 70.4°N 27.5°E
Diameter	5,610 km
Eponym	Ishtar

Color-coded elevation map, showing the elevated "continents" in yellow: Ishtar Terra at the top.

Ishtar Terra /ˈɪʃtɑːr ˈtɛrə/^[1] is one of the three continental regions on the planet Venus, the others being Aphrodite Terra and Lada Terra. It is a highland region named after the Akkadian goddess Ishtar, and is found in the north of the planet. In size, it is roughly between Australia and the contiguous United States, making it the second-largest of the terrae.

On its eastern edge lies the great mountain chain Maxwell Montes, which is 11 km high, compared to Mount Everest at 8.8 km. On one side of the mountain chain is an impact crater of 100 km in diameter filled with lava.^{[citation needed]} Ishtar Terra contains the four main mountain ranges of Venus: Maxwell Montes on the eastern edge, in the north, Akna Montes on the western edge, and in the southern region. These surround the lower plain of Ishtar Terra, which is named Lakshmi Planum (after the Hindu goddess Lakshmi). Ishtar Terra also contains volcanoes named after famous women: Sacajawea, Colette, and Cleopatra. Ishtar Terra is also the site of many tesserae, formed by tectonic deformation.^{[citation needed]}