Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the chief reservoir of the White Nile. Its waters fill a shallow depression in the centre of the great plateau that stretches between the Western and Eastern Rift Valleys. Among the freshwater lakes of the world it is exceeded in size only by Lake Superior in North America.
The search by Europeans for the source of the Nile led to the sighting of the lake by the British explorer John Speke in 1858. Formerly known to the Arabs as Ukerewe, the lake was named by Speke in honor of Queen Victoria of England. Though other headwaters in the mountains of Rwanda and Burundi are being researched, the mighty Lake Victoria is still seen by many to be the source of the Nile.
Waters from the large lake leave via the Victoria Nile to head north to join the Albert Nile in northern Uganda to become the full White Nile.
What to do
The lake also offers plenty of tourist activities. You can visit the source of the Nile in Jinja, visit one of the Ssese islands, feed the chimpanzees atNgamba Island or relax at one of the fine resorts which are located on islands or peninsula’s in Lake Victoria. Of course you might also consider a fishing trip on the lake in search of the giant Nile Perch! Lake Victoria has more than 200 species of fish, of which the Tilapia is the most economically important.
