Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately 59,947 km², 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. Lake Victoria is drained solely by the Nile River near Jinja, Uganda, on the lake’s northern shore.
Water volume: 2,424 km3 (582 cu mi)
Max. depth: 81 m (266 ft)
Basin countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda
Average depth: 41 m (135 ft)
There is something magical about the Nile, the longest river in the world and the source of life for many great civilizations throughout the ages. The source of the Nile, alluded to hazily in the ancient writings of Ptolemy, stood as one of the great geographical mysteries of the Victorian Age. Closer to home, the Nile downriver from Jinja, Uganda, offers some superb white water rafting and game fishing.