The freshwater system of the African continent includes the largest and deepest lakes on the planet. Most of them belong to the African Great Lakes, which have a connection with the Nile.
Here is a list of lakes in Africa.
- Victoria.
- Tanganyika.
- Malawi (Nyasu).
- Albert.
- Eduard.
This, of course, is not all the lakes of Africa, but only the largest. The full list includes 14 titles.
But directly among the Great, many geographers include only the following lakes in Africa: Victoria, Edward and Albert. Because only they have a natural outlet to the White Nile. Lake Tanganyika has a natural outlet to the water system of the Congo, while Lake Malawi is connected to the Zambezi River. All lakes in Africa (photos below) have very beautiful natural scenery.
Lake Victoria
It takes up a huge amount of space. In terms of size, it is quite comparable to the area of an entire state, for example, Ireland. The coastline of the reservoir serves as the border for several African states at the same time: Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
The total area of Lake Victoria is calculatedin 68 thousand km2. The length of the water surface is 320 km, and the maximum width is 275 km. Victoria belongs to one of the deepest lakes in the world. Its maximum depth is 80 m. The full-flowing Kagera contributes to the replenishment of the reservoir with fresh water. Victoria, in turn, gives rise to the Victoria Nile.
Currently, the lake is a reservoir. It received this status after the construction of the Owen Falls Dam in 1954, which blocked the Victoria Nile River. As a result of such actions, the natural water level has risen by 3 m.
Numerous islands, which are scattered throughout the water surface, are home to a huge variety of birds. The waters of the lake are simply teeming with crocodiles. The area around Victoria is home to many reserves and national parks in Africa.
Lake Tanganyika
Tanganyika is not only the largest, but also the deepest lake in Africa. The maximum water depth in this reservoir reaches 1432 kilometers, which is only slightly inferior to the famous Baikal. The lake is 650 kilometers long and 80 kilometers wide.
The shores of Tanganyika serve as a border to four countries at once: Burundi, Tanzania, Congo and Zambia. Replenishment of the water reserve of the lake is due to several rivers flowing into it. But Tanganyika is only the source of the Lukuga River.
Lake Tanganyika is fairly populated. Hippos live here, there are crocodiles. Many birds have chosen it as their permanent habitat. There are many varieties found in the waters.fish.
Lake Malawi (Nyasa)
Lake Nyasa or Malawi is quite long and narrow when viewed from above. But this does not prevent him from taking the second place of honor in the list of the deepest lakes in Africa. The shores of Malawi serve as a border area for three African states: Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. The waters of this lake are very rich in fish: there are tilapia, campango and others. Therefore, along its banks there are a lot of fishing villages. Fishing is a vital part of the local economy.
Part of the coast of the lake, belonging to Malawi, has a fairly developed tourist infrastructure. The clear waters of Nyasa are absolutely safe for sailing and will appeal to fans of snorkeling and water skiing.
These were the largest lakes in Africa belonging to the network of the Great African Lakes. Further you will get acquainted with other well-known, but much smaller reservoirs of this continent.
Lake Albert
It is located in the eastern part of Africa, on the border of two republics: the Congo and Uganda. The total area reaches 5600 square kilometers. The coastline of the reservoir has a small number of bays, the coasts are mostly quite steep.
Lake Albert has a fairly large number of tributaries, but they only carry water during the rainy season. Of the many rivers flowing into it, only two are large: the Victoria Nile and the Semliki. At their confluence, they form huge deltas,which serve as an excellent habitat for many crocodiles and hippos. Waterfowl feel completely safe here. The lake is the source of the Albert Nile.
There are quite a lot of fish species in the reservoir (more than 40). These are tiger fish, Nile perch and many others. The shipping industry is also quite developed. The main ports are the port of Butiama, belonging to Uganda, and Kasenyi, the main port of the Republic of the Congo.
The coast of the island belonging to Uganda has a well-developed tourist infrastructure: various excursions are held here, horseback riding is offered.
Lake Edward
It is located in the central part of Africa, just a few kilometers from the equatorial line. It is a border area for two countries: Uganda and the Republic of the Congo.
It received such an unusually sonorous name in honor of the eldest son of the royal family, Edward VII.
There is one rather unusual circumstance that makes this lake very unusual. This is one of the extremely small number of reservoirs in tropical Africa, where there are absolutely no crocodiles. These toothy monsters inhabit Lake Albert and the lower Semliki in abundance, but for unknown reasons they do not come here.
The largest lakes in Africa
The list is topped by Lake Victoria with a total area of just over 68,000 km2. In second place among the largest lakes on the continent is Lake Tanganyika. The area of this reservoir covers 34,000 km2. Closes the top threeLake Nyasa (Malawi). Its surface is almost 30,000 km2.
But these are not all the lakes of Africa, which are among its largest water bodies.
Lake Chad
This is the fourth largest African lake. The area of this reservoir is 27,000 km2, but this value is not constant. During the rainy season, it can increase to 50,000 km2, and during the dry season it can decrease up to 11,000 km2.
The lake has no natural flow, so the water simply evaporates or goes into the sandy ground. In the conditions of the incredibly hot climate of the continent, with such a water regime, the water in the lake simply must be s alty. But Chad is almost entirely a fresh lake. Its upper layers of water are suitable for drinking, only at the very bottom it is slightly brackish. But why don't the water layers mix? The answer is pretty simple. To the northeast of the lake there is the Bodele Basin, which is below its level. The reservoir is connected to it by an underground river, through which the bottom s alt waters leave.
Chad is home to many birds. Pelicans and flamingos come here for the winter. Many animals live on its banks. These are zebras, and giraffes, and antelopes. The list can be very long. Here you can meet the native sea animal - the manatee. It still remains a mystery how he could end up in this fresh lake.
These are the largest lakes in Africa. Other reservoirs have much smaller areas.
Great Lakes formation process
And they appearedthey are due to the so-called Great Rifts. The bed for most of these reservoirs is the rift depression. The Great Lakes began to fill with water almost immediately after their formation.
Rift lakes can be small or large, shallow or, conversely, have fairly solid depths, but the only thing that unites them is the outline. All lakes formed in this way have a specific elongated shape, which is determined by the outlines of the rifts.
