Perspective rendering of Ishtar Terra, at the center of the image is Maxwell Montes, according to its elevation in red and its peaks like Skadi Mons in white.Color-coded elevation map, showing the elevated terrae "continents" in yellow: Ishtar Terra at the top.Topographic radar image view of Venus, with Ishtar Terra near center
It is a highland region named after the AkkadiangoddessIshtar,[2] and is found in the north of the planet.[3] Note that Ishtar Terra is located near the negative pole if Venus's rotation is defined as prograde by the right-hand rule.[4] The rotation of the planet is commonly characterized as retrograde in order to correlate its northern hemisphere with Earth's, in which case Ishtar Terra is near the north pole. This is the convention normally used for maps.
Ishtar Terra contains the four main mountain ranges of Venus: Maxwell Montes on the eastern edge, Freyja Montes in the north, Akna Montes on the western edge, and Danu Montes in the southern region. These surround the lower plain of Ishtar Terra, which is named Lakshmi Planum (after the Hindu goddess Lakshmi).[6]
Ishtar Terra also contains volcanoes named after famous women: Sacajawea and Colette. Ishtar Terra is also the site of many tesserae, made by tectonic deformation.[4]
