Lake Victoria
Africa's largest lake is broad but relatively shallow.
Where the lake is
The pulsing dot marks the lake's position (Uganda / Kenya / Tanzania).
among the 18 lakes in this section
The world's second largest lake, so it must hold a colossal amount of water.
It ranks second by freshwater surface area, but its 40 m mean depth limits its volume. Many smaller and deeper lakes hold more water.
About the lake
Lake Victoria covers 68,800 km². It is the world's second largest freshwater lake by area and the largest lake in Africa. It sits in a shallow depression between the two arms of the East African Rift, at 1,134 m above sea level.
Despite its vast surface, it is relatively shallow. Its mean depth is about 40 m and its maximum depth roughly 81 m. It therefore holds 2,760 km³ of water, while the smaller Baikal holds more than eight and a half times as much.
Lake Victoria: Questions
Its mean depth is only about 40 m. Across 68,800 km², that yields 2,760 km³ of water. The deeper Baikal has a smaller surface but holds more than eight times as much.
Yes. The lake is the chief headwater reservoir of the White Nile, which leaves it at Jinja in Uganda.
About 1,134 m above sea level, on the East African plateau between Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.