Lake Tanganyika Size report
Tanganyika is the continental part of Tanzania, in eastern Africa, on the verge of the Indian Ocean; here is the home of the Sukuma, Chaga, Nyamwezi, and other tribes of the Bantu language family. As a source of fresh water for the region's inhabitants, Lake Tanganyika is the deepest lake in Africa and the second deepest lake in the world after Lake Baikal.
Lake Tanganyika is a freshwater lake in central Africa, located between 3°20′S, 29°5′E, and 8°48′S, 31°15′E. Lake Tanganyika is a standard fault lake (i.e., a tectonic lake), and the subsidence of the crustal fracture forms its long and narrow shape from the north to the south. The fracture also formed high cliffs around the lake shore, and the winding lake shoreline is 1,900 kilometers long.
There are mainly Malagalassi River, Ruzizi River, Kalambo River, etc., flowing into Lake Tanganyika, and the lake's only outlet is the Lukuga River. Important ports along the lake are Bujumbura (Burundi), Kalemi, Congo (Kinshasa), and Ujiji and Kigoma, Tanzania. This post will introduce more interesting facts about Lake Tanganyika.
Lake Tanganyika Introduction
The first recorded discovery of Lake Tanganyika was in 1858 by European explorers. At that time, the two explorers came to East Africa to explore the source of the Nile, and later, they went on to discover and record another larger freshwater lake, Lake Victoria. Lake Tanganyika is the second oldest lake in the world, and geologists believe that Lake Tanganyika was formed 1 million years ago.
Lake Tanganyika belongs to four African countries and forms the boundary between Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), part of the boundary between Burundi and the DRC, and part of the boundary between Tanzania and Zambia. The lake area has long become an attractive tourist destination because of its beautiful scenery. Every weekend, people swim, fish, sunbathe and ride motorboats here.
Lake Tanganyika Size
- Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world with a length of 410 miles (660 km) and the second deepest with a depth of 4,710 feet (1,436 meters). Comparatively narrow, varying in width from 10 to 45 miles (16 to 72 km).
- Its surface area is about 12,700 square miles (32,900 square km).
- The water storage is 18,900km³ (4,500 cubic mi)), which is second only to Lake Baikal at 23,600km³.
- Lake Tanganyika has a coastline of 1828 kilometers.
Ecology
Lake Tanganyika is home to more than two thousand plant and animal species and is one of the richest freshwater ecosystems in the world. About six hundred of these species are endemic to the Lake Tanganyika watershed. Lake Tanganyika provides a clean water source for African tropical animals and aquatic organisms. Biologists even believe that 80% of the world's fish once lived and were found in the lake. The forests around Lake Tanganyika are lush, and various tropical trees compete to grow.
Final Words
Lake Tanganyika is an excellent natural fishing ground and a place where birds gather. The clear waters host more than 350 different fish species and are well known for aquarium fish exports and excellent angling. Elephants, antelopes, lions, giraffes, and other African endemic animals live around the lake area. The stunning natural scenery of Lake Tanganyika attracts tourists from all over the world, bringing a bloom to tourism in the countries along the lake.
