The lake’s southwestern coast is backed by precipices 300 feet (90 metres) high, which give way on the western coast to papyrus and ambatch swamps marking the delta of the Kagera River. 1999. Conservation Biology: For the Coming Decade. 9 Largest Lakes in Africa 1. [70][72] It is likely that undescribed species of snails remain. The first recorded information about Lake Victoria comes from Arab traders plying the inland routes in search of gold, ivory, other precious commodities, and slaves. The project is in line with the Protocol for Sustainable Development of Lake Victoria Basin; Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) Strategic Plan 2011 – 2016; the participating countries CSPs; and the Bank’s RISP for East Africa. As Lake Tanganyika is a border for four countries Zambia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo- the success of the project will depend on how well these countries work together. Their loss is devastating for the lake, the fields of ecology, genetics and evolution biology, and more evidently, for the local fisheries. Despite the large surface area, the lake is not very deep, only a maximum Lake Victoria (c.255 mi/410 km long and c.155 mi/250 1998. Source of world's longest river … About this Quiz. Today, the composition and yields of such fish catches are virtually negligible. [13] In terms of volume, Lake Victoria is the world's ninth-largest continental lake, containing about 2,424 km3 (1.965×109 acre⋅ft) of water. Today, the lake and its resources fuel the economies of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The main ports on the lake are Kisumu, Mwanza, Bukoba, Entebbe, Port Bell, and Jinja. [81] These warnings primarily concerned the native tilapia O. esculentus, as the smaller haplochromine cichlids (despite playing an important role in local fisheries) were regarded as "trash fish" by the colonial government. The project aims to provide safe drinking water for an estimated one million people and improved sanitation for 100 000 people. The lake was named after Queen Victoria by the explorer John Hanning Speke, in his reports—the first Briton to document it. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. (editor). These cities and towns are also home to many factories that discharge some chemicals directly into the lake or its influent rivers. There is a printable worksheet available for download here so you can take the quiz with pen and paper.. Where is Serengeti National Park? In 1966, train ferry services between Kenya and Tanzania were established with the introduction of MV Uhuru and MV Umoja. Without oxygen, any aerobic life (such as fish) cannot exist in the deeper parts of the lake, forcing all life to exist within a narrow range of depth. Lake Victoria is a huge lake in Eastern Africa - it's so big that it stretches over parts of three different countries. (See East African Rift System.) The lake is located close to the equator on the eastern side of Africa, with most of the lake … [27], The non-cichlid native fish include African tetras (Brycinus), cyprinids (Enteromius, Garra, Labeo, Labeobarbus, Rastrineobola and Xenobarbus), airbreathing catfish (Clariallabes, Clarias and Xenoclarias), bagrid catfish (Bagrus), loach catfish (Amphilius and Zaireichthys), silver butter catfish (Schilbe intermedius), Synodontis squeaker catfish, Nothobranchius killifish, poeciliids (Aplocheilichthys and Micropanchax), the spiny eel Mastacembelus frenatus, elephantfish (Gnathonemus, Hippopotamyrus, Marcusenius, Mormyrus, Petrocephalus, and Pollimyrus), the climbing gourami Ctenopoma muriei and marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus). However, the most distal source of the Nile Basin, and therefore the ultimate source of the Nile, is more often considered to be one of the tributary rivers of the Kagera River (the exact tributary remains undetermined), and which originates in either Rwanda or Burundi. Travelling between these countries via the lake is, sadly, a luxury of the past. Lake Victoria is considered the most dangerous water body of its kind in the world due to the number of deaths recorded every year.. With a surface area of 68,800 sq km (26,600 sq mi), Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake. The subsequent decrease in the number of algae-eating fish allows the algae to grow at an alarming rate, thereby choking the lake. McAndrews, R. and D.I. The lake’s surface is 3,720 feet (1,134 metres) above sea level, and its greatest ascertained depth is 270 feet (82 metres). Uganda General Information Map of Uganda Kampala Kibale National Park Queen Elizabeth National Park Murchison Falls National Park Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. With a surface area of approximately 59,947 km2 (23,146 sq mi),[10][11] Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake,[12] and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after Lake Superior in North America. Lake Victoria is known to be 2nd largest fresh water lake, and is the source of the White Nile river. It is densely populated. [61] There is little doubt that Haplochromis played an important role in returning detritus and plankton back into solution. [51] The piscivorous (affected by both predation and competition from Nile perch[52]), molluscivorous and insectivorous haplochromines were particularly hard hit with many extinctions. [70][71] There are 17 species of bivalves (Corbicula, Coelatura, Sphaerium, and Byssanodonta), including 6 endemic species/subspecies. the layer of water that lies below the thermocline, is noncirculating, and remains perpetually cold) were lower in 1990–1991 for a longer period than in 1960–1961, with values of less than 1 mg per litre (< 0.4 gr/cu ft) occurring in water as shallow as 40 metres (130 ft) compared with a shallowest occurrence of greater than 50 metres (160 ft) in 1961. Ochiel, W. Gitonga and S.W. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Invasive fish, such as the Nile perch, have driven many endemic species to extinction. Many archipelagos are contained within the lake, as are numerous reefs, often just below the surface of the clear waters. The dam provides hydroelectric power on a large scale and made the lake a vast reservoir. It’s shared by the three east African countries of Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Found on the western side of Africa's Great Rift Valley, Lake Victoria borders the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It is Africa's largest lake, and the second largest fresh water lake in the world. Animal flesh decays considerably faster, however, so the fertility of the lake is dependent on the rate at which these nutrients can be taken up by fish and other organisms. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. Chapter 27, pp. Lake Victoria, shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, was named after the Queen of England and is the world's largest tropical lake and the second largest freshwater lake. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The increasing amounts of algae, in turn, increase the amount of detritus (dead plant material) that falls to the deeper portions of the lake before decomposing. [84][86][87][88][89] On the other hand, water hyacinth mats can potentially have a positive effect on fish life in that they create a barrier to overfishing and allow for fish growth, there has even been the reappearance of some fish species thought to have been extinct in recent years. With a surface area of just under 70 000 km², Lake Victoria not only dominates this part of East Africa but ranks as the second largest freshwater lake in the world. [95][96] Large parts of these urban areas also discharge untreated (raw) sewage into the river, increasing its eutrophication that in turn is helping to increase the invasive water hyacinth. The lake’s only outlet is the Victoria Nile, which exits from the northern coast. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Ugandan volunteers passing out life jackets in an effort to decrease the number of drownings in Lake Victoria. Albright, T.P., Moorhouse, T.G., & McNabb, T.J. (January 1, 2004). Lake Victoria, a naturally occurring shallow freshwater lake of the Murray catchment and part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the western Riverina region of south western New South Wales, Australia.. In terms of contributed water, this makes Lake Victoria the principal source of the longest branch of the Nile. Lake Victoria covers an approximate 68,800 km squared. "Freshwater Crabs and Shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda) of the Nile Basin". [41][79][81] Although these have contributed to the extinction of native fish by causing significant changes to the ecosystem, outcompeted natives and (in the case of the Nile tilapia) possibly hybridized with the highly threatened native tilapias, the most infamous introduction was the large and highly predatory Nile perch (Lates niloticus). Local fisheries once depended on catching the lungfish, tilapia, carp and catfish that comprise the local diet. At the lake’s southeastern corner is Speke Gulf, and at the southwestern corner Emin Pasha Gulf. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Human infections by this parasite are common at Lake Victoria. The Kagera River, the largest and most important of the lake affluents, enters the western side of Lake Victoria just north of latitude 1° S. The only other river of note entering from the west is the Katonga, north of Kagera. The lake rests between three countries namely, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. I can only ask if Lake Victoria has any geopolitical importances to these Nile countries? The water since at least 12,000 years ago drained across a natural rock weir. Found on the western side of Africa's Great Rift Valley, Lake Victoria borders the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Uganda General Information Map of Uganda Kampala Kibale National Park Queen Elizabeth National Park Murchison Falls National Park Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Lake Victoria was called after its namesake, Queen Victoria, following its discovery by British explorer, John Speke in 1858. Lake Victoria is drained solely by the Nile River near Jinja, Uganda, on the lake's northern shore. [18] The lake's area is divided among three countries: Kenya occupies 6% (4,100 km2 or 1,600 sq mi), Uganda 45% (31,000 km2 or 12,000 sq mi), and Tanzania 49% (33,700 km2 or 13,000 sq mi).[19]. Ask your question. A detailed survey of the lake was made by Sir William Garstin in 1901. The fertility of tropical waters depends on the rate at which nutrients can be brought into solution. [24] In the Kenya sector, the main influent rivers are the Sio, Nzoia, Yala, Nyando, Sondu Miriu, Mogusi, and Migori. United Nations Environment Programme & Belgium. The set up of small beaches and local authorities around the lake lack proper sewage treatment facilities allowing pollutants to find their way into the water. [8][9] This expedition was financially sponsored by the Royal Geographic Society. [81] In the following decades, the pressure to introduce the Nile perch continued, as did warnings about the possible effects of doing it. Pollution of Lake Victoria is mainly due to discharge of raw sewage into the lake, dumping of domestic and industrial waste, and fertiliser and chemicals from farms. [77] Initially the fishery involved native species, especially tilapia and haplochromine cichlids, but also catfish (Bagrus, Clarias, Synodontis and silver butter catfish), elephantfish, ningu (Labeo victorianus) and marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus). Lake Victoria and climate change Conversely, genetic studies indicate that some morphologically distinctive populations, traditionally regarded as separate species, may only be variants of single species. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to counteract against the rapidly deteriorating water quality in the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB). Lake Victoria, also called Victoria Nyanza, largest lake in Africa and chief reservoir of the Nile, lying mainly in Tanzania and Uganda but bordering on Kenya. The lake has a maximum depth of between 80 and 84 m (262 and 276 ft)[11][14] and an average depth of 40 m (130 ft). Km. Darwall (2018). [25] These changes have arisen for multiple reasons: successive burning within its basin,[26] soot and ash from which has been deposited over the lake's wide area; from increased nutrient inflows via rivers,[27] and from increased pollution associated with settlement along its shores. London: Crown Agents for the Colonies. ... Countries. Believing he had found the source of the Nile on seeing this "vast expanse of open water" for the first time, Speke named the lake after Queen Victoria. Institutions of the East African Community: This page was last edited on 14 January 2021, at 07:36. The latter likely is the smallest African freshwater crab with a carapace width up to about 1.6 cm (0.6 in), although P. kantsyore of Kagera River, and Platythelphusa maculata and P. polita of Lake Tanganyika are almost as small. In his official report of the expedition, Graham wrote that "The ngege or satu Tilapia esculenta, is the most important food fish of the lake, whether for native or non-native consumption. [66][67] The last were first scientifically described in 2017 and very little is known about them: P. entebbe is only known from near Entebbe (the only known specimen was collected in 1955 and it is unknown if it was in or near the lake) and P. busungwe only at Busungwe Island in the northwestern part of the lake. As of 2016, an environmental data repository exists for Lake Victoria. It was the site of a fishing boom in the 1980s and 90s when the world paid huge money for its Nile perch and tilapia fish. [49], Starting in the 1950s, several species have been introduced to Lake Victoria where they have become invasive and a prime reason for the extinction of many endemic haplochromine cichlids. In contrast, the Owen Falls (now flooded by a dam) between Victoria and Kyoga were essentially a series of rapids that did not effectively block fish movements between the two lakes. Of the numerous islands in the lake, Ukerewe, north of Speke Gulf, is the largest, with wooded hills rising 650 feet (200 metres) above the lake. [81] The Nile perch had spread throughout the lake by 1970. [20] These drying cycles are probably related to past ice ages, which were times when precipitation declined globally. Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world and one of the sources of the Nile River, is one of the most important trans-boundary natural resource in Africa. Lake Victoria or Victoria Nyanza (also known as Ukerewe and Nnalubaale) is a lake in Africa.It is bordered and governed by the countries of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.The lake is in the western part of Africa's Great Rift Valley.. Lake Victoria is 68,800 square kilometres (26,560 mi²) in size. [16] The lake has a shoreline of 7,142 km (4,438 mi) when digitized at the 1:25,000 level,[17] with islands constituting 3.7% of this length. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The outflow from Lake Victoria into the NILE is in the country of UGANDA. The Victoria Nyanza and Its Fisheries: A Report on the Fish Survey of Lake Victoria 1927–1928 and Appendices. The countries will lead you to a complete list of the members in a given country and their brief profile. 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