LAKE VICTORIA TRAVEL GUIDE

LOCATION OF LAKE VICTORIA, UGANDA

Lake Victoria is located in East Africa and is shared by three countries: Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. In Uganda, the lake’s Northern shores are near major cities like Kampala and Entebbe. The lake is a significant geographical feature, being Africa’s largest lake by area and the world’s largest tropical lake.

Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately 59,947 km2 (23,146 sq mi),  Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after Lake Superior in North America. In terms of volume, Lake Victoria is the world's ninth-largest continental lake, containing about 2,424 km3 (1.965×109 acre⋅ft) of water. Lake Victoria occupies a shallow depression in Africa. The lake has an average depth of 40 m (130 ft) and a maximum depth of 80–81 m (262–266 ft). Its catchment area covers 169,858 km2 (65,583 sq mi). The lake has a shoreline of 7,142 km (4,438 mi) when digitized at the 1:25,000 level, with islands constituting 3.7% of this length.

The lake's area is divided among three countries: Tanzania occupies 49% (33,700 km2 (13,000 sq mi)), Uganda 45% (31,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi)), and Kenya 6% (4,100 km2 (1,600 sq mi)).

The lake is home to many species of fish which live nowhere else, especially cichlids. Invasive fish, such as the Nile perch, have driven many endemic species to extinction.

POPULATION OF LAKE VICTORIA, UGANDA

As of 2024, the Lake Victoria basin is home to over 30 million people1. This region is one of the most densely populated areas in Africa, with several million people living within 50 miles (80 km) of the lake’s shores.

SOME HISTORY OF LAKE VICTORIA, UGANDA

Lake Victoria is relatively young in geological terms, estimated to be about 400,000 years old. It was formed when westward-flowing rivers were dammed by an upthrown crustal block. The lake occupies a shallow depression in the East African plateau, with an average depth of 40 meters and a maximum depth of 81 meters.

The region around Lake Victoria has been inhabited for thousands of years. Early human settlements were drawn to the lake due to its abundant resources, including fish and fertile land for agriculture. Various ethnic groups, such as the Luo, Baganda, and Sukuma, have lived around the lake for centuries, developing rich cultural traditions and economies based on fishing and farming

The search for the source of the Nile River brought European explorers to Lake Victoria in the mid-19th century. In 1858, British explorer John Hanning Speke became the first European to sight the lake, naming it after Queen Victoria. Speke’s discovery was part of his expedition with Richard Francis Burton. Later, in 1875, Henry Morton Stanley circumnavigated the lake, further mapping its shores and confirming its connection to the Nile.

During the colonial period, Lake Victoria became a significant focus for the British Empire in East Africa. The lake’s strategic importance was underscored by the construction of the Uganda Railway, which connected the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Kisumu on the lake’s northeastern shore. This facilitated the transport of goods and people, boosting the region’s economic development.