[88][90][91][92][93] 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. Although it is a part of the same river system known as the White Nile and is occasionally referred to as such, strictly speaking this name does not apply until after the river crosses the Uganda border into South Sudan to the north. The Lake Victoria region is one of the most densely populated in Africa; within 50 miles (80 km) of its shores live several million people, nearly all Bantu-speaking. 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 mi) in size. [84] In the following decades, the pressure to introduce the Nile perch continued, as did warnings about the possible effects of doing it. The 3 Main Basins Lake Tanganyika has 3 basins. Lake Edward covers an area of 2,325 square km. A very public quarrel ensued, which not only sparked a great deal of intense debate within the scientific community of the day, but also much interest by other explorers keen to either confirm or refute Speke's discovery.[104]. To relax and experience the remote Islands on the lake and the lake shores with is small beaches. Discover the rich culture and lifestyle of the Luo community that leaves in the area. [65][66][67] With some 80 percent of Haplochromis species feeding off detritus, and equally capable of feeding off one another, they represented a tight, internal recycling system, moving nutrients and biomass both vertically and horizontally through the water column, and even out of the lake via predation by humans and terrestrial animals. Action of long shore drift deposited . The surface of Lake Edward is at an elevation of 912 m and it has a maximum depth of 112 m. Several rivers like the Nyamugasani, Ishasha, Rutshuru, and others feed the lake. [39][44] The Victoria haplochromines are part of an older group of more than 700 closely related species, also including those of several smaller lakes in the region, notably Kyoga, EdwardGeorge, Albert, and Kivu. So, it is making it the perfect destination for birdies from all corners of the world. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Lake-Victoria, African Great Lakes Information Platform - Lake Victoria, University of Texas, Dallas - Lake Victoria, UN-Water Activity Information System - Lake Victoria, Victoria, Lake - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Lake Victoria - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). With an area of 59,947square km, Lake Victoria is Africas largest lake and the worlds biggest tropical lake. Lake Victoria, although not a rift valley lake, is located in a depression between the western and eastern rifts. [110], On 6 November 2022, Lake Victoria was the site of a commercial passenger aircraft crash. 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. In 1966, train ferry services between Kenya and Tanzania were established with the introduction of MVUhuru and MVUmoja. 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 African Great Lakes are a series of lakes constituting the part of [38] Among the introductions are several tilapias: redbreast (Coptodon rendalli), redbelly (C. zillii), Nile (Oreochromis niloticus) and blue-spotted tilapias (O. Where is Lake Rukwa in the Rift Valley? The lake has an average depth of 40m (130ft) and a maximum depth of 8084m (262276ft)[7][10]. A standard for mimicking the old rate of outflow called the "agreed curve" was established, setting the maximum flow rate at 300 to 1,700 cubic metres per second (3922,224 cuyd/sec) depending on the lake's water level. Hundreds of endemic species that evolved under the special conditions offered by the protection of Lake Victoria have been lost due to extinction, and several more are still threatened. Last edited on 14 November 2022, at 20:14, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The Victoria Nyanza. In terms of contributed water, this makes Lake Victoria the principal source of the longest branch of the Nile. Omissions? The lake's average surface water temperature is 25 C and the average pH is 8.4. Njoka. Best Time to See Flamingos on the Rift Valley Lakes in Kenya 2022 [41], Other factors which may have contributed to the decline of the water hyacinth in Lake Victoria include varying weather patterns, such as El Nio during the last few months of 1997 and first six months of 1998 bringing with it higher levels of water in the lake and thus dislodging the plants. [99][100] 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. Lake Kivu is an African Great Lake located on the Rwanda-DRC border. Find high-quality stock photos that you won't find anywhere else. The subsequent decrease in the number of algae-eating fish allows the algae to grow at an alarming rate, thereby choking the lake. The country's prime minister says 19 people have died in the crash, raising the death toll. 2011-03-04 12:41:44. [93] More recently, measures have been used such as the introduction of natural insect predators, including two different water hyacinth weevils and large harvesting and chopping boats, which seem to be much more effective in eliminating the water hyacinth. Local fisheries once depended on catching the lungfish, tilapia, carp and catfish that comprise the local diet. Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. What Are The Three Major Lakes In Africa - Realonomics [44] Initially the population of the Nile perch was relatively low, but a drastic increase happened, peaking in the 1980s, followed by a decline starting in the 1990s.[44]. The rift valley includes Lake Victoria, which lies between the two branches of the rift valley, the eastern and western rift valleys. Tanzania has, among others, Lake Natron and Lake Eyasi. The lake covers an area about 32,900 square km (12,700 square miles). Is Lake Victoria part of the Great Rift Valley? - Answers All lakes in the Albertine Rift valley are freshwater in nature and they host a great diversity of species. See also who was the tallest president in the united states Which Indian River flows in rift valleys? Victoria, Lake - geography.name The Ugandan cities of Kampala and Entebbe lie along or near the northern coast. The lakes shores vary in aspect. [64] There is little doubt that Haplochromis played an important role in returning detritus and plankton back into solution. Its waters fill a shallow depression in the centre of the great plateau that stretches between the Western and Eastern Rift Valleys. The lake exhibits eutrophic conditions. It receives the outflow from the Victoria Nile and is drained northward and then westward over the low northern end of the Rift escarpment (the Murchison Falls) to Lake Albert. Great Rift Lakes of Africa | WWF - Panda These lakes are also referred to as the Central African lakes. Lake Victoria Safari. The surface levels of the lakes on the irregular floor of the Eastern Rift Valley are of varying heights, rising from Lake Rudolf (1,230 feet [375 metres] above sea level) through Lake Baringo (3,200 feet [975 metres]) to Lake Naivasha (6,180 feet [1,880 metres]), after which there is a decrease in height to Lake Magadi (1,900 feet [580 metres]). At least 19 people were killed Sunday after a passenger plane crash-landed in Lake Victoria while trying, amid bad weather, to reach a nearby . What are the Ruwenzori Mountains also called? (2008). Lake Victoria, although not a rift valley lake, is located in a depression between the western and eastern rifts. 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. [14] Geological cores taken from its bottom show Lake Victoria has dried up completely at least three times since it formed. With an area of 59,947square km, Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake and the world's biggest tropical lake. [33] A 2016 project digitized ten-thousand points and created the first true bathymetric map of the lake. [56][57][58][59][60], Before the mass extinction that has occurred among the lake's cichlids in the last 50 years, about 90 percent of the native fish species in the lake were haplochromines. [41] This is far more species of fish than any other lake in the world, except Lake Malawi. With a surface area of approximately 59,947km2 (23,146sqmi),[6][7] Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake,[8] and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after Lake Superior in North America. Like Lake Albert, it also extends across Uganda and the DRC and is protected by Ugandas Queen Elizabeth National Park and DRCs Virunga National Park. This is due both to its location near the fault zones and with the wetlands that surround it. This lake has a maximum length and maximum width of 673 km and 72 km respectively. Which lakes are part of the Great Rift Valley? - Short-Fact Rift Valley and Lake Victoria wildlife holidays in Kenya | Tribes Travel The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes constituting the part of the Rift Valley lakes in and around the East African Rift. Lake Nakuru is one of the Rift Valley soda lakes at an elevation of 1754 m above sea level. The Western Rift is edged by majestic mountains and contains the Rift Valley lakes, which include some of the deepest lakes in the world (up to 1,470 meters deep at Lake Tanganyika). It is located at an elevation of 773 m and has a maximum depth of 1,470 m. The Ruzizi River is the main river feeding the lake. [44] As a result of predation by the introduced Nile perch, eutrophication and other changes to the ecosystem, it is estimated that at least 200 species (about 40 percent) of Lake Victoria haplochromines have become extinct,[40][44][49] including more than 100 undescribed species. The Rift Valley is more heavily populated than other areas of the country. East African lakes | lake system, East Africa | Britannica [44] Others have become extinct in their pure form, but survive as hybrids between close relatives (especially among the detritivores). The maximum length and width of the lake are 160 km and 30 km respectively. The Lake Victoria basin, while generally rural, has many major centres of population. Lake Victoria is one of the sources of Africas longest river the Nile River. It was completed in 1999 and began producing hydroelectric power the next year. It has a maximum length and maximum width of 77 km and 40 km respectively. Overall, the timing of the decline could be linked to all of these factors and perhaps together, in combination, they were more effective than any one deterrent would have been by itself. 20910. The opening of the main East African Rift and the Albertine Rift downwarped the area between them as the rift walls rose, creating the current Lake Victoria basin. "The Rise and Fall of Water Hyacinth in Lake Victoria and the Kagera River Basin, 1989-2001". pp. Lake Tanganyika is very important to the local economy and supports a major fishery. The fertility of tropical waters depends on the rate at which nutrients can be brought into solution. 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. [20] These drying cycles are probably related to past ice ages, which were times when precipitation declined globally. [44][83] To boost fishing, several species of non-native tilapia and Nile perch were introduced to the lake in the 1950s. The lakes of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia | Exploring Africa Lake Victoria, although not a rift valley lake, is located in a depression between the western and eastern rifts. GEOLOGY. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [38] The main group in Lake Victoria is the haplochromine cichlids (Haplochromis sensu lato) with more than 500 species, almost all endemic,[22][39][40] and including an estimated 300 that still are undescribed. Therefore Lake Victoria is quite shallow with an average depth of about 30-40m and a maximum depth of 81 meters and Kenya actually owns only a tiny 3,785 sq km corner of the . However, 40% and 46% of the lakes area is possessed by DRC and Tanzania, respectively. Lake Albert is also sometimes known as Lake Mobutu Sese Seko. For the bird life that is abundant in the area. Great Slave Lake It is of great beauty lakes, located in North America, the fourth deepest lake in the world; Covering an area of 2700 square kilometers, and is characterized by Baom ice on its surface. d) Formation of lake sare is a lagoon that formed at the shore of Ugowe Bay in Siaya District. With an area of 59,947square km, Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake and the world's biggest tropical lake. A chain of 8 lakes is found within Kenya's Great Rift Valley and none of these lakes have a clear outflow. The abundance of aquatic life is not the only dependent of the lake: more than thirty million people in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda rely on the lake for its natural resources. Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, Africa | COVE The massive lake is shared by four countries DRC, Burundi, Zambia, and Tanzania. How was Lake Victoria formed? - Quora [93][95][96][97] A green power plant that uses harvested water hyacinth (but also can use other degradable waste) was constructed in Kisumu County in 2013. (August 01, 2008). Study now. [14], The lake's area is divided among three countries: Kenya occupies 6% (4,100km2 (1,600sqmi)), Uganda 45% (31,000km2 (12,000sqmi)), and Tanzania 49% (33,700km2 (13,000sqmi)).[15]. These include the 3 largest lakes in Africa - Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi - as well as lakes Turkana, Albert, Edward, Kivu and several others. The lake, which is located between the Western and Eastern Rift Valley, covers an area of 69,484 square km of which 49% lies in Tanzania, 45% in Uganda and 6% in Kenya. Search from Rift Valley Lake stock photos, pictures and royalty-free images from iStock. The basin lies along the north edge of the Tanzanian craton (continental core) and has been the site of deposition since precambrian time. 16790 Lake Victoria Dr, Moreno Valley, CA is a single family home that contains 1,894 sq ft and was built in 1991. (editor). The Kagera River is the largest river flowing into this lake, with its mouth on the lake's western shore. It is accessible by a road plus boat transfer, but its own airstrip allows easier access from Kisumu airport or Governors Maasai Mara airstrip. Until 1963, the fastest and newest ferry, MV Victoria, was designated a Royal Mail Ship. The deepest parts of Lake Baikal are 1,642 meters (5,387 feet), and are getting deeper every year. [14][64] By itself, this vegetative matter decays slowly. A second dam, Kiira, was later constructed 0.6 mile (1 km) from Nalubaale. Sayer, C.A., L. Miz-Tom, and W.R.T. 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