Lake Tanganyika
A long, deep gash of the East African Rift.
Where the lake is
The pulsing dot marks the lake's position (DR Congo / Tanzania / Burundi / Zambia).
among the 18 lakes in this section
Tanganyika's narrow outline gives little sense that it is one of Earth's largest freshwater reserves.
It is the world's second largest freshwater lake by volume. Its depth of 1,470 m allows it to hold almost seven times as much water as the larger Lake Victoria.
About the lake
Tanganyika fills a straight, narrow section of the East African Rift for about 660 km. It is the longest freshwater lake in the world. Its floor drops to 1,470 m, making it the second deepest lake on the planet after Baikal.
With a surface of 32,600 km², comparable to Baikal, it holds 18,900 km³ of water. This is the second largest volume of fresh water in a single lake. Tanganyika contains almost 17 percent of the world's available surface fresh water.
Lake Tanganyika: Questions
Baikal is deeper by 172 m. It reaches 1,642 m, while Tanganyika reaches 1,470 m. Tanganyika remains the world's second deepest lake and Africa's deepest.
Yes. It runs about 660 km along the rift, making it the longest freshwater lake on Earth.
About 18,900 km³. This is the second largest volume of fresh water in a single lake, behind only Baikal. It equals about 83 percent of the Great Lakes' combined volume.