Lake Tanganyika, a Great Rift Valley lake in central Africa, is the world’s longest freshwater lake and the second deepest, sharing borders with Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania, and Zambia.
Key Facts:
Location: Great Rift Valley, central Africa.
Countries: Burundi, DRC, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Type: Freshwater lake.
Length: The longest freshwater lake in the world.
Depth: The second deepest lake in the world, after Lake Baikal.
Volume: The second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, after Lake Baikal.
Formation: Formed in the western arm of the East African rift valley, about 9-12 million years ago.
Biodiversity: Known for its unique and diverse ecosystem, with many endemic species of fish and other aquatic life.
Cichlids: The lake is famous for its many types of cichlids, a type of fish, that live there and nowhere else.
Draining: The lake’s only outlet is the Lukuga River, which flows into the Congo River system.
Economic Importance: Fishing is a significant activity along the lake’s shores.
Population: The basin has a population of more than 10 million people.
Threats: The lake is threatened by high population growth, overuse of natural resources, invasive species, habitat degradation, pollution, and climate change.