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The Great Lakes of Africa: Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika

There are many lakes in the world, but do people know the important things about some of the African continental lakes? Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika are lakes located in Africa and they are two of the largest and deepest in the world.

Lake Victoria, also called Victoria Nyanza, is the largest lake in Africa. Lake Victoria is 26,828 square miles (69,484 square km). This lake is located in Tanzania and Uganda, bordering Kenya. Lake Victoria serves as an important transport route for East African Nations as it is connected to the Nile River. The lake helps African people and the environment because it provides water for industrial and domestic use and regulates local climate.

Lake Tanganyika is the world's second largest freshwater lake by volume and depth. It covers about 12,700 square miles (32,900 square km) and forms the boundary between Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This lake is divided between four countries. The majority of the lake is spread between 46 percent in Tanzania and 40 percent in the DRC. The other two countries possessing the lake are Burundi and Zambia.

These two lakes help countries by providing 90 percent of hydro-power in Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda. They also have freshwater that helps provide a water supply for major urban centers like Kampala, Kigali, Mwanza, and Kisumu. These takes are very essential to communities across Africa and it is important to keep them clean and protected.

[Sources: National Geographic; Hammond World Atlas]

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