Lakshmi Planum

plateau, Venus

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Last updated

June 17, 2026

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Akna Montes Akna Montes, a mountain belt on Venus bordering Lakshmi Planum in Ishtar Terra, in a radar image obtained by the Magellan spacecraft. North is up.

Lakshmi Planum is a high, flat, lava-covered plateau on the planet Venus, located within the continent-sized highland region of Ishtar Terra. It is comparable in configuration to the Plateau of Tibet on Earth. Lakshmi Planum is surrounded by mountain ranges, including Maxwell Montes, which is the highest terrain on Venus, reaching about 11 km (7 miles) above the planet's mean radius. The formation of these surrounding mountains is attributed to tectonic folding and faulting of Venus's lithosphere. The surface of Venus, in general, is rocky and dry, with much of it covered by plains, but Ishtar Terra represents a significant highland area.123

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