Lake Victoria - the great African lake

Africa's Victoria Lake is in the heart of Equatorial Africa. Its water area is located on the territory of three states: Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. This is one of the most picturesque lakes of this continent. Its area is 68 thousand km ². The average depth does not exceed eighty meters. It is named in honor of Queen Victoria by its discoverer D. Spike. The locals call it Nyanza, which means "big water".

Lake Victoria is located quite high above sea level. The height reaches 1134m. By the size of its water area it exceeds the Aral and Azov Seas and ranks third after the Caspian Sea and Lake Superior in North America. The lake is filled with fresh water. The surrounding banks are mostly low and swampy. And only the south-western coasts abruptly break into the lake with steep cliffs.

African hell

Lake Victoria is one of the most dangerous water areas for navigation. Its low banks open the way for all winds, and a high location above sea level makes the weather unstable. There are often storms and hurricanes, accompanied by the appearance of tornadoes. The climate here is pretty terrible. Exhausting heat combined with high humidity during the wet period gives way to long periods of severe drought. A myriad of poisonous insects are waiting for their victims. This pond evaporates millions of tons of water and never becomes shallow. And yet, where Victoria Lake is located, Africa is preserved in its most primordial form. The pond is swarming with fish. This attracts here millions of water birds, both local and migratory. Here you can meet rare animals, which in other places are already few.

African Nessi

In Lake Victoria there is Nessie. Only in contrast to the Scottish local see quite often. Eyewitnesses describe her as an animal 4.5 m long. His head is the size of a lion's. From the mouth stick out two white fangs. It is covered with scales and has a wide spotted back, as well as a thick and long tail. The animal is very aggressive. Perhaps it's a dinosaur. But Lake Victoria is a very young formation. It was formed only 750 thousand years ago, when the dinosaurs had already died out.

Drought

The unprecedented drought in recent years in Africa has led to a drop in the water level in the pond by 1 meter, something that has never happened before. This led to the shutdown of many hydroelectric power stations in its basin. This greatly undermines the economy of the entire lakeside area. In addition, the ecological situation has worsened. Water is poisoned by chemical fertilizers, sewage, uncontrolled discharges of waste from enterprises.

Interesting Facts

A few interesting facts.

Lake Victoria USA gave the first black president. His father grew up on his shores in Kenya in the town of Nyagoma-Kogyo.

Only on this lake you can meet the antelope of sitatunga that has disappeared in other places.

And only in these waters is inhabited an unusual fish of the Lang, the gills of which work according to the principle of the lungs. Such fish gave rise to terrestrial animals.