Where is lake victoria located in which country. Description of lake victoria
Lake Victoria is located in eastern central Africa along the equator. Three countries have access to it: Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. hit the road with a travel agency in Samara "Hot Vouchers" and get to know this and others, no less interesting places in Africa.
This picturesque lake was discovered by Arab traders, and their map of the reservoir dates back to around 1160 AD. But its name is quite European. The fact is that the British John Henning Speke was engaged in his first serious research, he named the lake in honor of Queen Victoria, who ruled in England at that time.
John Henning Speke, who arrived at the lake in 1858, claimed to be the source of the Nile River. This opinion caused a lot of debate in the scientific community before it was accepted.
Here are some interesting facts about Lake Victoria in Africa:
- It is the largest lake in Africa, with a surface area of \u200b\u200b68,800 square kilometers.
- Victoria is the largest tropical lake in the world.
- It is the second largest freshwater lake in the world, second only to Lake Superior in North America in surface area.
- Lake Victoria is about 400 thousand years old.
- The average depth is 40 meters and the deepest point is 84 meters.
- Roughly 80 percent of Victoria's water comes from rainfall. The remaining 20 percent comes from small rivers flowing into the lake.
- Geological studies have shown that the lake has dried up completely. The last time it was about 17300 years ago.
The largest river flowing into the lake is the Kagera. Two rivers flow out of the lake: the White Nile and the Katonga.
Ecological situation on the lake
Lake Victoria, the legendary source of the Nile and the cradle of early human evolution, is losing its inhabitants. The scientist fears that if measures are not taken in the near future, all life in the lake may disappear.
Factors that have a negative impact on the ecological health of the lake:
- Wastewater pollution combined with fertilizers and chemicals from farms.
- Water hyacinth. This plant was introduced to Africa at the end of the 20th century as an ornamental plant. It began to multiply rapidly and covered large areas of the lake. Dense vegetation blocks the sunlight needed for underwater life.
- Fishing on an industrial basis. The demand for fish is growing rapidly along with the population of Africa. This has driven fish populations down to dangerously low levels.
Lake Victoria has experienced the largest mass extinction of vertebrates in our time. Thirty years ago it boasted about 500 species of fish. More than half of them have already disappeared.
Now it is difficult to guess why famous traveler and African explorer John Henning Speke, who discovered a huge freshwater lake in Tanzania in 1858, decided to name it after Queen Victoria, then ruler of England.
However, in the language of the aborigines, it was called even more unpretentious, Nyanza, which actually meant "lake". Initially, the geographer mapped it under a double name, Victoria-Nyantza, but later (after 1920) the prefix was canceled. 
It is noteworthy that to this day the authorities of the independent states of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda are incessant polemics about assigning one of the more sonorous local name, but they have not come to a consensus. However, the name of the lake is not the main subject of interest of John Henning Speke, his goal was to find the source of the great Nile River, which he successfully did, presenting evidence that it was the Victoria Nile River, flowing from it, that gave rise to the subject of research. Subsequently, his data was confirmed by the equally famous reporter and traveler Henry Stanley. 
Unfortunately, today it is a huge lake located in the northern part of the East African Plateau, and is characterized by an area of \u200b\u200b68,000 km. sq., serves as the most convincing evidence of the destructive human impact on the environment. After they began to intensively develop Victoria in every conceivable way, including the extraction of gold and diamonds, deforestation, commercial fishing and fish farming, the construction of a hydroelectric power station and the transformation of the lake into a reservoir, it lost its original, very complex, ecosystem, and naturalists are inclined to think, that a person is no longer able to restore it. 
Previously, a huge number of fish of different species lived in the lake, now their number (according to various estimates) has decreased by about five times. The fate of the unique protopter fish, which has survived since prehistoric times, is questionable: it can breathe both with gills and lungs. 
In the area of \u200b\u200bthe lake, there are unique reserves in which there are huge populations of native animals: crocodiles, elephants, boas, rhinos, antelopes of various breeds (including the unique marsh sitatunga) - a complete list of all animals, birds, insects and fish takes several pages. 
Such a unique ecosystem was formed not only due to the special climate, but also to the rarest combination of natural zones: savannas coexist with swampy areas; in the northwest, an evergreen equatorial forest comes close to the shores. Unlike other lakes, Victoria is very densely populated: the approximate number of people living along its coast is estimated at 30 million, which makes
VICTORIA (Victoria), Victoria Nyanza (Victoria Nyanza), a lake in East Africa, the second largest (after Lake Superior) among freshwater lakes in the world, turned into a reservoir with the world's largest useful volume (204.8 km 3); in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. The lake area is 68.9 thousand km 2, length 320 km, width up to 275 km, volume 2700 km 3, depth up to 92 m.The length of the coastline is over 3450 km. Tanzania owns 49% of the water area and 33% of the coastline of the southern part of the lake, Uganda - respectively 45 and 50% of the north-western part, Kenya - 6 and 17% of the north-eastern part of the lake.
The Victoria Basin, one of the "Great Lakes" of Africa, is located in a gentle tectonic depression of the crystalline basement in the eastern part of the African Platform. It arose in the middle of the Quaternary period simultaneously with the formation of the narrow lacustrine basins Albert and Edward during the formation of the western branch of the East African Rift System, which disturbed the previous flow into the Congo Basin. The new runoff system was turned to the east, towards the tectonic trough, where a vast reservoir was formed, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich increased during the pluvial epochs. The flow of water from this reservoir formed the channel of the Victoria Nile River, directed at the formation of the Cabarega Falls into Lake Albert, and from it to the north into the Nile River. Victoria and located north of the lake Kyoga are relics of an ancient continental reservoir.
The modern coastline (at an altitude of 1134 m) is very winding. The northern, eastern and southern shores are low-lying, sandy, with many bays (the largest are Vinam, Spik), the western shore is more elevated and leveled. There are over 3,000 islands in the water area with a total area of \u200b\u200babout 6 thousand km 2, the largest are Ukereve, Rubondo, Kome, and the Sese Islands. 17 rivers flow into Victoria, the most water-bearing river is the Kagera (considered the source of the Nile, one of the longest rivers in the world). After the construction in 1954 on the Victoria Nile of the Owen Falls hydroelectric complex with a dam height of 31 m and a hydroelectric power station, due to flow regulation, the water level in Victoria began to rise slowly. By the beginning of 1965, it became 3 m higher than the average long-term level, the area of \u200b\u200bthe lake reservoir reached 76 thousand km 2.
In the incoming part of the water balance of Victoria, the share of rainwater is 82-87%, runoff from the catchment 13-18%, in the outflow part - evaporation from the surface of the reservoir 76-83%, the runoff of the lake water mass 17-24%. The small share of river waters in the lake's feeding is a consequence of the small catchment area (190 thousand km 2). Due to the low flow rate, the average residence time of water in Victoria is about 25 years.
Victoria is located in the equatorial belt. On the shores of Vinam Bay in the city of Kisumu (Kenya), the average annual air temperature is 23.1 ° C, precipitation is about 1300 mm per year. Victoria is characterized by strong storms caused by hurricane winds during tropical thunderstorms. The water level changes sharply depending on the layer of precipitation, the water content of floods on the tributaries and storm surges. The average long-term range of intra-annual level fluctuations is 0.5 m.
Almost uniform in temperature (23-25.8 ° С), the surface layer of the lake water mass has a thickness of 30-40 m.With strong southeastern winds and the greatest cooling of the surface (usually in June-July), mixing extends to the bottom, providing annual convective -dynamic circulation of the entire water column. The mineralization of Victoria waters is low (88 mg / l). Below is the average long-term chemical composition of lake waters (mg / l): HCO - 3 56.1; SO 2 - 4 2.3; Cl 3.9; Ca 2+ 5.6; Mg 2+ 2.6; Na + 10.4; K + 3.8; SiO 2 3.0.
According to observations, in the coastal zone of Kenya, a high oxygen content in the surface trophogenic layer - up to 8-14 mg / l (100-180% saturation during calm periods) - decreases with depth to 4-7 (50-80%) at a horizon of 10 m and up to 1-4 mg / l - at a horizon of 40 m. In the shallow Bay of Vinam, which is closed from storms, an equally low O 2 content was noted at a depth of 10 m, at the bottom. This is due to the negative impact of contaminated domestic wastewater from the city of Kisumu and other settlements, as well as agricultural runoff in the basin of rivers flowing into the bay. The transparency of the water is low, it varies from 0.2 m in February with a water turbidity of 12-22 mg / l to 1.5 m in September (<10 мг/л). С 1930-х годов прозрачность уменьшилась более чем в 5 раз. В заливе Винам иногда наблюдается цветение воды. Подобные очаги антропогенного эвтрофирования в целом мезотрофной экосистемы Виктории наблюдаются и на других участках прибрежной зоны. Средняя скорость озёрного илонакопления 0,5-1 мм/год.
The transformation of the lake into a reservoir caused minor changes in the natural conditions and economy of the sparsely populated coast. The rise in the level did not exceed 1.4 m above the highest level of the lake. Victoria is still distinguished by its pristine beauty and varied flora and fauna. Macrophytes are dominated by papyrus and hornwort, which provide a refuge for fry. Phytoplankton is represented by diatoms (melozira, fragillaria, cyclotella), green (pediastrum, scenedesmus), dinophytic (glenodynium) algae, cyanobacteria (lingbia, spirulina, anabena). Crocodiles are plentiful in the waters. The main commercial fish are the Nile perch, launched in 1978, and the tilapia. Protected areas are mainly located on islands, for example, Rubondo National Park (relict tropical vegetation; elephants, rhinos, giraffes, oryxes, sitatunga antelopes, hippos, fat beetles, chimpanzees, green monkeys, porcupines, mongoose, pythons, mambas, cobras; birds are numerous). To preserve Victoria's unique aquatic ecosystem, the Lake Victoria Fishing Organizations Convention was adopted in 1994. It is used as a source of water supply, for recreation (sailing). Fishing, shipping. The main ports are Mwanza, Bukoba (Tanzania), Entebbe (Uganda), Kisumu (Kenya). Discovered in 1858 by J. H. Speke, named after the Queen of Great Britain.
Lit .: Data book of world lake environments. Otsu, 1988. Vol. one; Report on lake Victoria environmental management project. S. 1., 1995; Yin H., Nicholson S.E. The water balance of lake Victoria // Hydrological Sciences Journal. 1998. Vol. 43 (5); Nikanorov A.M. Hydrochemistry. 2nd ed. SPb., 2001.
M. D. Ananicheva, K. K. Edelstein.
Our planet is amazingly picturesque and diverse. She conquers travelers with wonderful reservoirs, mighty rocks, spacious plains. On the territory of Africa, USA there is a wonderful lake - Victoria. If we consider the first area, then it occupies three large tracts of land: Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. It covers each of the regions and in total is 68 thousand square kilometers. Its width is 275 km, and its depth is no more than 80 meters. The lake was first found and explored in 1858 by the traveler Speke. He decided to name his find himself and notify the authorities about it. As you know, the lake became known as Victoria (in honor of the Queen of England). It is considered high-mountain, as it is located in a tectonic trough, and is also located at an altitude of 1134 m above sea level.
Interesting information
Lake Victoria has long been considered a sea. All this is due to the enormous size and depth of the waters. It ranks third in size among freshwater lakes and has the shape of a giant irregular oval. It is 350 km long and 200 km wide on average. Sometimes there are swampy areas, less often - crystal clear. There are rocks around the perimeter, which abruptly break off and create the impression of a giant shield. Lake Victoria is full of headlands, coves and peninsulas. They perfectly connect, flow into each other and create indescribable landscapes. Vessels that cross the lake usually hide in bays during storms and bad weather. The climate here is very peculiar, it has been forming over the years. One day it can be exhaustingly hot, and the next it can be humid and cold. Gusts of wind always shake the waters, even huge rocks and capes are not able to protect from this. By the way, the lake was recognized as one of the most dangerous in the world.
Lake in the USA
Lake Victoria (USA) is located east of Michigan. It was discovered by the French and is replete with islands. Its area is 59,600 square kilometers and the depth is 229 meters. According to legend, many ships have sunk and are kept in the lake. It is great for snorkeling, diving and attracts thousands of tourists every year. In a freshwater reservoir among all the islands, Manitoulin is considered the main and largest.
It should be noted that Lake Victoria (Africa) has nothing to do with the American one. Its area is 68 thousand square kilometers, its depth is 80 meters. It is navigable, has a wide variety of fish, and its coast crosses the equator. The only similarity to the US lake is the presence of various islands. It flows into the Kager River and fills the depression between the sides of the eastern and western valley of the Great Gorge. Due to partial rains, the water is constantly replenished and enriched with essential trace elements. The lake is home to crocodiles and lang fish (a rare species that lived about 300 years ago). She is able to breathe and retain air in the gills, as in the lungs. Such inhabitants of the waters are considered very rare and at the same time the pride of local residents. Lake Victoria in Africa is the second largest in the world in comparison with other freshwater lakes.
Victoria - a lake in East Africa. Located in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Lake Victoria is located at an altitude of 1134 m above sea level, an area of \u200b\u200b69,485 sq. km, maximum depth 82 m.
The largest lake in Africa and the second largest freshwater lake in the world. The lake is fed by many small rivers, among them the Kagera (the source of the Nile), the Victoria-Nile River flows out. The lake also feeds on tropical rains.
The cities are located: Kampala, Jinja (Uganda), Kakamega (Kenya), Mwanza (Tanzania). There are also islands on the lake: Ukereve, Sese, Mansome, Ruvondo, Kome.
The lake is rich in fish: tuna, snook, king fish, blue marlin, Nile perch, lang fish, etc. The locals are engaged in fishing. There are many crocodiles.
The lake is navigable.
Photo Victoria:
Where is located on the map:
VICTORIA (Victoria), Victoria Nyanza (Victoria Nyanza), a lake in East Africa, the second largest (after Lake Superior) among the fresh lakes in the world, turned into a reservoir with the world's largest useful volume (204.8 km3); in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
The lake area is 68.9 thousand km2, length 320 km, width up to 275 km, volume 2700 km3, depth up to 92 m.The length of the coastline is over 3450 km. Tanzania owns 49% of the water area and 33% of the coastline of the southern part of the lake, Uganda - respectively 45 and 50% of the north-western part, Kenya - 6 and 17% of the north-eastern part of the lake.
The Victoria Basin, one of the "Great Lakes" of Africa, is located in a gentle tectonic depression of the crystalline basement in the eastern part of the African Platform.
It arose in the middle of the Quaternary period simultaneously with the formation of the narrow lacustrine basins Albert and Edward during the formation of the western branch of the East African Rift System, which disturbed the previous flow into the Congo Basin.
The new runoff system was turned to the east, towards a tectonic trough, where a vast reservoir was formed, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich increased during the pluvial epochs. The runoff of water from this reservoir formed the channel of the Victoria Nile River, directed at the formation of the Cabarega Falls into Lake Albert, and from it to the north into the Nile River. Victoria and Lake Kyoga to the north are relics of an ancient continental reservoir.
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The modern coastline (at an altitude of 1134 m) is very winding.
The northern, eastern and southern shores are low-lying, sandy, with many bays (the largest are Vinam, Spik), the western shore is more elevated and leveled. There are more than 3000 islands in the water area with a total area of \u200b\u200babout 6 thousand km2, the largest are Ukereve, Rubondo, Kome, Sese Islands.
African Lake Victoria
17 rivers flow into Victoria, the most water-bearing river is the Kagera (considered the source of the Nile, one of the longest rivers in the world). After the construction in 1954 on the Victoria Nile of the Owen Falls hydroelectric complex with a dam height of 31 m and a hydroelectric power station due to flow regulation, the water level in Victoria began to rise slowly. By the beginning of 1965, it became 3 m higher than the average long-term level, the area of \u200b\u200bthe lake reservoir reached 76 thousand km2.
In the incoming part of the water balance of Victoria, the share of rainwater is 82-87%, runoff from the catchment 13-18%, in the outflow part - evaporation from the surface of the reservoir 76-83%, the runoff of the lake water mass 17-24%.
The small share of river waters in the lake's feeding is a consequence of the small catchment area (190 thousand km2). Due to the low flow rate, the average residence time of water in Victoria is about 25 years.
Victoria is located in the equatorial belt. On the shores of Vinam Bay in the city of Kisumu (Kenya), the average annual air temperature is 23.1 ° С, precipitation is about 1300 mm per year. Victoria is characterized by strong storms caused by hurricane winds during tropical thunderstorms.
The water level changes sharply depending on the layer of precipitation, the water content of floods on the tributaries and storm surges. The average long-term range of intra-annual level fluctuations is 0.5 m.
Almost uniform in temperature (23-25.8 ° C), the surface layer of the lake water mass has a thickness of 30-40 m.
With strong southeastern winds and the greatest cooling of the surface (usually in June - July), mixing extends to the bottom, providing an annual convective-dynamic circulation of the entire water column. The mineralization of Victoria waters is low (88 mg / l). Below is the average long-term chemical composition of lake waters (mg / l): HCO-3 56.1; SO2-4 2.3; Cl 3.9; Ca2 + 5.6; Mg2 + 2.6; Na + 10.4; K + 3.8; SiO2 3.0.
According to observations, in the coastal zone of Kenya, a high oxygen content in the surface trophogenic layer - up to 8-14 mg / l (100-180% saturation during calm periods) - decreases with depth to 4-7 (50-80%) at a horizon of 10 m and up to 1-4 mg / l - at the horizon 40 m.
In the shallow Bay of Vinam, closed from storms, an equally low O2 content was noted at a depth of 10 m, at the bottom. This is due to the negative impact of polluted domestic wastewater from the city of Kisumu and other settlements, as well as agricultural runoff in the basin of rivers flowing into the bay. The transparency of the water is low, it varies from 0.2 m in February with a water turbidity of 12-22 mg / l to 1.5 m in September (<10 мг/л). С 1930-х годов прозрачность уменьшилась более чем в 5 раз.
Blooming water is sometimes observed in Vinam Bay. Similar foci of anthropogenic eutrophication in the whole mesotrophic ecosystem of Victoria are observed in other parts of the coastal zone. The average rate of lacustrine silt accumulation is 0.5-1 mm / year.
The transformation of the lake into a reservoir caused minor changes in the natural conditions and economy of the sparsely populated coast.
The rise in the level did not exceed 1.4 m above the highest level of the lake. Victoria is still distinguished by its pristine beauty and varied flora and fauna. Macrophytes are dominated by papyrus and hornwort, which provide a refuge for fry. Phytoplankton is represented by diatoms (melozira, fragillaria, cyclotella), green (pediastrum, scenedesmus), dinophytic (glenodynium) algae, cyanobacteria (lingbia, spirulina, anabena).
Crocodiles are plentiful in the waters. The main commercial fish are the Nile perch, launched in 1978, and tilapia. Protected areas are mainly located on islands, for example, Rubondo National Park (relict tropical vegetation; elephants, rhinos, giraffes, oryxes, sitatunga antelopes, hippos, fat calves, chimpanzees, green monkeys, porcupines, mongooses, pythons, mambas, cobras; birds are numerous). To preserve the unique aquatic ecosystem of Victoria, the Lake Victoria Fishing Organizations Convention was adopted in 1994.
It is used as a source of water supply, for recreation (sailing). Fishing, shipping. The main ports are Mwanza, Bukoba (Tanzania), Entebbe (Uganda), Kisumu (Kenya). Discovered in 1858 by J. H. Speick, named after the Queen of Great Britain.
Lit .: Data book of world lake environments. Otsu, 1988. Vol. one; Report on lake Victoria environmental management project. S. 1., 1995; Yin H., Nicholson S.E.
The water balance of lake Victoria // Hydrological Sciences Journal. 1998. Vol. 43 (5); Nikanorov A.M.
Hydrochemistry. 2nd ed. SPb., 2001.
M. D. Ananicheva, K. K. Edelstein.
Lake Victoria is one of the most striking natural attractions in Africa, not less known as Sinai, Colorado Canyon, Cameroon volcano or Lake Chad. Victoria is the largest freshwater body of water in the Black Sea and the rest of the world, according to one of the United States Great Lakes above.
Bank shrapnel resembles a large, irregular oval.
Its surface is about 68,000 square kilometers, in some places the depth of the lake reaches 80 meters.
This lake contains the largest African river, the Nile.
Where is Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is the natural border between Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
The coastal areas have a significant number of Aboriginal people - from various sources - from 30 to 35 million people. Local residents have another name for this city - Nyanza, which means "big water".
In 1858, this pond was discovered by the famous British explorer John Speech, who named it after the British queen.
The lake and its surroundings are very popular with hunting and fishing enthusiasts.
Lake Victoria
In these waters, there are more than 100 species of fish, including rare ones,
And this is the only place in the world where the fossil fish Lang, a sedentary Earth 300 million years ago, has survived. This unique species is a transitional link from fish to planting animals, as it has an incredible respiratory system, which includes both gills and lungs.
Hunting and fishing
Fishing at Lake Victoria is interesting, but quite dangerous.
These waters simply float with crocodiles, so that zezevshiysya a fisherman can turn himself into prey.
By the way, hunting tours for crocodiles and hippos are one of the most extreme local entertainment offered by tourists.
There are some famous nature reserves and national parks around the lake.
One of the most popular places among tourists - park on the island of Rubondo, where there are hundreds of bird species and dozens of animal species.
Amber tropical birds of "colored" shores in all colors of the rainbow - there may be places in the world where you can see a fantastic show. In the park, you can see elephants, rhinos, giraffes, mongooses and many other exotic animals.
Anatoly Sitatung is distinguished by his unique grace and beauty.
No less interesting is the Ruma National Park - a great place to observe wildlife in their natural habitat.
There are many islands in the lake, such as small ones.
Some of them are inhabited by people and have facilities for tourists.
Landscapes of fabulous beauty, romantic canoe trips, the opportunity to observe rare animals or explore the life of local fishermen - this holiday is the best way for those seeking peace and tranquility.
One of the most unusual islands is Mingo Island.
The island is famous for its excellent fishing and has a very original history. For a long time, Mingo was uninhabited - the inhabitants of the coastal areas believed that there was an evil spirit on the island.
In the early 90s of the last century, one of the local shamans performed a ritual exorcism and settled on the island with two brave souls - Kenyan fishermen. Soon, other fishermen began to inhabit the island, who were attracted by the excellent catch. Now there are about 130 people in Mingo..
Using the Precious Nile Nile allows fishermen to earn up to $ 200 a week, which, according to local standards, translates into huge amounts of money.
Due to the fact that the island is a disputed territory, residents are forced to pay taxes to the treasury of Kenya and Uganda.
At the same time, the islanders believe that Mingo is a free republic, has its own government, and lives in a single municipality according to its own laws.
The worst punishment for violating these laws is expulsion from the island.
There are legends on the lake. If you think that one of them lives near Rubondo, Lukwata is a mysterious monster, time, from the moment he rises from the bottom of the lake and takes prey from the fishermen.
Of course, the mysterious Lukwat is not as popular as its "counterpart" from Loch Ness, but thousands of tourists come to these regions every year hoping to meet the strange creature.
There is no clear division of the season on the coast.
The air temperature remains around 25 ° C per year, the water temperature rarely drops below 22 ° C.
Changing seasons in these places depends on the amount of rain.
Spring and summer are times of tropical rainso it is best to visit Victoria in November-February.
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Victoria, Victoria-Nyanza, Ukereve (Victoria, Victoria Nyanza), a lake on the African continent in East Africa off the east coast of the mainland.
Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second largest surface area in the world after Lake Superior (mainland North America) of the world's freshwater lakes and the third among all lakes in the world after Lake Caspian (mainland Eurasia) and Lake Superior. Lake Victoria belongs to three African countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda. Kenya owns the smallest northeastern part of the lake.
Uganda occupies the large northern and northwestern part of the lake. Half of the lake is all southern and the largest part belongs to Tanzania.
Lake Victoria at an altitude of 1134 meters above sea level in the northern part of the East African plateau in a gentle tectonic trough, from the north the lake is under spring with a lava flow.
The area of \u200b\u200bLake Victoria is 68 thousand km². The greatest length from north to south is 320 km, the greatest width of the lake at its widest point is 275 km. Average depths are about 40 meters, the maximum depth of the lake is about 80 meters.
The distance from the eastern coast of the lake to the eastern coast of Africa is about 700 kilometers. The northern, eastern and southern shores are low-lying, sandy, with many bays. The west bank is more elevated and leveled. The total length of the lake's coastline is over 7 thousand km. The largest bays of the lake are Kavirondo and Spica. There are many islands on the lake, the total area is about 6 thousand sq.
km², the largest of them are Ukereve and the Sese Islands. Lake Victoria arose in the middle of the Anthropogenic period during the formation of the lake depressions Albert and Edward in the central branch of the East African fault zone, which disturbed the previous flow into the Congo Basin. The new drainage system was turned to the east, to a trough on the plateau, where a huge ancient primordial body of water was formed, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich was especially large during the pluvial epochs. The ancient lake received flow westward, into Lake Albert and further into the Nile system across the Victoria Nile River during the formation of Murchison Falls.
Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga lying to the north of it are relics of an ancient reservoir. The lake is surrounded by savannas in the northwest. a moist deciduous-evergreen equatorial forest (mainly secondary) approaches the shores. The lake is fed with water mainly due to atmospheric precipitation and the waters of numerous rivers, among which the most abundant is the Kagera River, which is also the source of the largest river in Africa, the Nile River.
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The average annual water input is 114 km³, of which 16 km³ from rivers, 98 km³ from atmospheric precipitation; the annual evaporation from the surface of the lake is 93 km³. The runoff (21 km³) flows along the Victoria Nile River and is regulated by the Owen Falls Dam 2.5 km downstream from the lake outlet.
The average annual amplitude of water level fluctuations in the lake is 0.3 m (the maximum annual amplitude for 45 years of observations is 1.74 m). Severe storms caused by hurricane winds during tropical thunderstorms are common. The main commercial fish is the Balti (Tilapia). The tsetse fly lives on the coast and islands.
Gold and diamonds are mined near the eastern shores of the lake. Small shipping is developed on the lake. The main ports on the lake are Entebbe (Uganda), Mwanza, Bukoba (Tanzania), Kisumu (Kenya). The lake is connected to the Indian Ocean coast by the Kisumu - Mombasa and Mwanza - Tabora - Dar es Salaam railway.
Discovered in 1858 by the English traveler John Henning Speke (May 4, 1827 - September 15, 1864). Named after the Queen of Great Britain.
Lake Victoria has an equatorial tropical climate with two rainy seasons a year. The average January temperature is 22 ° C, and the average July temperature is + 20 ° C. Average annual rainfall is 1500-1600 mm.
The first rainy season lasts from March to May, and the second from October to December. Measurements of the amount of precipitation on the coast and on the islands showed that about 30% more precipitation falls in the middle of the lake than along its shores
1. Lake Titicaca is located in South America in the Andes. The mainland of Lake Victoria is Africa, in its eastern part. 2. The geographic coordinates of Lake Titicaca are 15 ° 48 '0 "S, 69 ° 24' 0" West, and at Lake Victoria - 1 ° 04'00 "S, 32 ° 52'00" East.
3. About 100 million years ago, the basin of Lake Titicaca was a sea bay. Under the influence of tectonic forces, simultaneously with the growth of the Andes, the basin of the lake rose. Now it is located at an altitude of 3810 meters above sea level. The origin of the Lake Victoria Basin is also tectonic. and is a consequence of the arched uplift of the surrounding land. 4. It is generally accepted that Lake Titicaca is drainless, but this is not entirely true. From the lake flows a river called Desaguadero, which then flows into an endless lake called Poopo.
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Therefore, Titicaku can be called a wastewater lake. Lake Victoria is a sewage lake. Water flow from the lake occurs along the Victoria Nile River. The regulation of flow is carried out by the Owen Falls Dam, which is built near the exit of the river from the lake. 5. The main special features of Lake Titicaca: in South America it is the largest freshwater lake, although its water and the highest salt content.
In addition, it is the world's highest lake for shipping. A feature of Lake Victoria is the fact that the ancient lang fish lives in its waters. These slaves lived in the lake about 300 million years ago. Its distinctive feature is that it can inhale air, retaining it in the gills. It is believed that this fish is one of the connecting links between fish and animals living on land.
Oceans, lakes and rivers
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the Seven Great African Lakes located in the Rift Valley of the East African Rift.
The area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir is 68.8 thousand square meters. km. It is the second largest in the world among all freshwater lakes. In the first place is Lake Superior in North America with an area of \u200b\u200b82.1 thousand sq.
Victoria (lake)
sq. km. But among the tropical lakes of the planet, the African reservoir takes first place. It is also considered the largest in Africa. But in terms of the volume of fresh water (2750 cubic km) it only reaches 9th place.
The lake is 337 km long. The width is 250 km. The maximum depth is 83 meters and the average depth is 40 meters. The reservoir is located at an altitude of 1133 meters above sea level.
The length of the coastline is 4828 km. It is divided between three countries: Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. All figures are taken from the US gazetteer.
Lake Victoria
The coastal strip around the lake is considered one of the most densely populated on the planet.
It is home to over 30 million people. The equator passes through the northern part of the lake. The city of Entebbe is located right on it. The capital of Uganda, Kampala, is located 40 km southeast.
It is home to 1.2 million people. In the south of the reservoir is the city of Mwanza with a population of 1.2 million people. It belongs to Tanzania. On the west coast is the town of Bukoba with a population of 100 thousand people. And in the Bay of Vinam in the northeast is the Kenyan city of Kisumu. It has 345 thousand inhabitants.
Concerning geological historythen Lake Victoria is considered relatively young.
Its age is estimated at 400 thousand years. The pond periodically dried up and re-filled with water. According to experts, there were 3 such cycles. The last time the lake dried up was 17300 years ago. Replenished with water 14700 years ago. This is due to the ice ages, during which the amount of precipitation sharply decreased. But it is the rains that feed the lake 80% with water, and only 20% falls on the tributaries.
Lake Victoria on the map
There are a lot of tributaries feeding the reservoir. The main one is considered kagera river... Its length is 420 km. It flows into a vast reservoir from the east, but its main attraction is that the river is considered the source of the great African river Nile. Actually, Kagera has its own inflow of Rukarar. It is from its source that the waterway is calculated, ending in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
In the north, the Victoria Nile River flows from Victoria, which further downstream is renamed the White Nile, and then, after the confluence of the Blue Nile, a single water stream is formed, which bears the name Nile.
The second major river flowing out of the lake is called Katonga. It directs its waters to the west and after 220 km flows into Lake George in Uganda, which is connected by the Kazinga canal with Lake Edward.
The Nzoya River also flows into the reservoir. Its length is 257 km. It is an important waterway in Western Kenya. There are many waterfalls on it, which means great energy potential. Lake Victoria itself contributes to the generation of email.
energy through a dam near the city of Jinja in Uganda. This is where the Victoria Nile flows out of the lake. But the water level in the reservoir is very capricious and unpredictable, so the hydroelectric power station does not work with full efficiency. In addition, there is an opinion that the hydroelectric station takes more water than was provided for by the agreement between the states.
These are the ships sailing in Victoria
Water transport well developed on a huge reservoir.
Since the early years of the 20th century, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya have been linked by ferries. In 1963, the fastest ferry built in Kenya was launched. In 1966, a rail ferry was created between Kenya and Tanzania.
But the achievements of civilization sometimes bring grief to people. On May 21, 1996, the Bukoba ferry sank in the lake.
He carried passengers between the Tanzanian cities of Bukoba and Mwanza. The vessel was designed for 430 passengers and 850 tons of cargo. The tragedy happened 56 km from Mwanza. The ferry went to the bottom at a depth of 25 meters, killing 987 people.
The main cause of the disaster was the overload of the vehicle. This tragedy is considered one of the largest in Africa.
People take a ferry between Mwanza and Bukoba
Lake Victoria was discovered in 1858... Mankind owes this to the British officer John Hennig Speke (1827-1864). He reached the southern coast while exploring Central Africa.
Seeing a huge surface of water in front of him, the Englishman named it in honor of Queen Victoria. The officer also said that he had finally found the source of the Nile, as he believed that the great river flows precisely from this huge reservoir.
But this statement caused disagreement among his partner Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890). All this gave rise to long discussions.
Any schoolchild these days knows that John Speke was right. The Nile does indeed flow out of Victoria, and a huge body of water also provides food and work for a huge number of people who live on its banks. The picture is darkened only by the merciless lake pollution.
Industrial enterprises discharge untreated waste water into it. The lake bottom serves as a burial place for chemical fertilizers and household waste. All this negatively affects the ecosystem. The situation is aggravated by a decrease in the water level in the reservoir. So the prospects are not bright, and life on the shores of Victoria is hard and difficult.
Yuri Syromyatnikov
