It is an irregular quadrilateral in shape, and its shores, save on the west, are deeply indented. Its greatest length from north to south is 210 miles (337 km), its greatest breadth 150 miles (240 km). Its coastline exceeds 2,000 miles (3,220 km).
What is unique about Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika?
Lake Victoria is the third-largest fresh water lake in the world by area, and Lake Tanganyika is the world’s second-largest freshwater lake by volume and depth. British explorers Richard Burton and John Speke were the first Europeans to discover the lakes during the quest for the source of the Nile in 1858.
How is Lake Victoria different?
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately 59,947 km2 (23,146 sq mi), Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake by area, the world’s largest tropical lake, and the world’s second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after Lake Superior in North America.
What is the significance of Lake Victoria?
Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second-largest lake in the world, after Lake Superior. The Victoria Nile, which later turns into the Nile River, flows out of Lake Victoria. People rely on Lake Victoria for fresh drinking water, food, and even electricity.
Is Lake Victoria the deepest lake in the world?
It is about the size of Ireland. Being relatively shallow for its size, with a maximum depth of 276 feet (84 m) and a mean depth of 131 feet (40 m), Lake Victoria ranks as the seventh largest freshwater lake by volume, containing 2,750 cubic kilometres (2.2 million acre-feet) of water.
What is the most unique lake in the world?
The 15 Most Unique Lakes in the World
- Dead Sea, Israel and Jordan.
- Pink Lake (Lake Hillier), Australia.
- Jellyfish Lake, Palau.
- Exploding Lakes, Democratic Republic of the Congo/Rwanda/Cameroon.
- Crater Lake, Oregon, USA.
- Spotted Lake, Canada.
- Lake Kaindy, Kazakhstan.
- Lake Baikal, Russia.
What are the unique characteristics of Lake Tanganyika?
Bio-physical and demographic characteristics
It the deepest lake in Africa with a maximum depth of 1,470 m and average depth of 580 m, the second deepest lake in the world, and the largest among the rift lakes with a surface area of 32,600 km2 and a shoreline of 1,828 km.
Is Lake Victoria the longest lake in the world?
Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa, the largest tropical lake in the world, the second largest freshwater lake in the world, and the third largest lake in the world.
Why is Victoria lake pink?
“When the weather and water conditions are just right, the algae produces pink or red cartenoids (basically a filter, like a pair of sunglasses, to protect their chlorophyll cells and help photosynthesis) which give the lake its pink colour.”
Why does Lake Victoria have fresh water?
The other water is received from rivers and other streams including river Kagera which is the largest river that flows into Lake Victoria through the western shoreline. Despite the many inlets into Lake Victoria, only the river Nile is the outlet from Lake Victoria. The Nile is found in Jinja Uganda.
What are 3 facts about Lake Victoria?
Many archipelagos are contained within the lake, as are numerous reefs, often just below the surface of the clear waters. Lake Victoria has more than 200 species of fish, of which the Tilapia is the most economically important. The lake’s basin area covers 92,240 square miles (238,900 square km).
What is the 1 deepest lake in the world?
Lake Baikal
Situated in south-east Siberia, the 3.15-million-ha Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world’s total unfrozen freshwater reserve.
What are the 3 deepest lake in the world?
This list counts down the nine deepest lakes on Earth.
9 of the World’s Deepest Lakes
- Caspian Sea (3,360 feet [1,025 meters])
- Lake Tanganyika (4,710 feet [1,436 meters])
- Lake Baikal (5,315 feet [1,620 meters])
What is the purest lake on Earth?
Blue Lake
Blue Lake. Located in the top half of New Zealand’s South Island, Blue Lake is said to be the clearest lake in the world. Its waters are fed by another lake that sits above its height of 1,200 meters above sea level.
What is the cleanest lake on Earth?
Blue Lake
Two lakes. Blue Lake (below), in New Zealand’s South Island, is the clearest lake in the world. It is fed by water from Lake Constance, above. Both are found just next to Mount Franklin, in the Tasman District’s Nelson Lakes National Park.
Whats the most beautiful lake in the world?
7 Most Beautiful Lakes in the World
- Lake Como, Italy. We cannot start talking about lakes without putting Lake Como at the top of the list.
- Laguna Colorada, Bolivia.
- Lake Tahoe, California, United States.
- Lake Hillier, Australia.
- Lake Bled, Slovenia.
- Moraine Lake, Canada.
- Lake Baikal, Russia.
What are the characteristics of a lake?
The 5 Key Features that Define a Lake
- Lakes are inland depressions filled with water.
- Lakes are standing, slow-moving bodies of water.
- Lakes have vast surface areas.
- Lakes are homes to complex ecosystems.
- Lakes are mostly freshwater, but some can be a little salty.
Is Lake Victoria freshwater or saltwater?
freshwater lake
Background Lake Victoria
It is the worlds largest tropical lake and the second largest freshwater lake. Lake Victoria touches the Equator in its northern side. It covers a total area of 68,800 sq. km [km²] and with a maximum depth of 80 m it is relatively shallow.
What is unique about the Great Lakes?
The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system in the world. The five Great Lakes – Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario – span a total surface area of 94,600 square miles and are all connected by a variety of lakes and rivers, making them the largest freshwater system in the world.
Is Lake Victoria a wonder of the world?
An Official Natural Wonder of the World
Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. It is in spectacular company made up of: The Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, Harbour of Rio de Janeiro, Mount Everest, Polar Aurora, and Paricutin volcano.
Has Lake Victoria ever dried up?
“Historically, the level of Lake Victoria has dropped pretty drastically,” and past research has shown that the lake twice dried out completely, 15,000 and 17,000 years ago. The team’s research showed that the lake also dried out at least once more in the past 100,000 years.