Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria has three island shores worth visiting: Ukrewe, Rubondo, and Ukara Island. The lake and the surroundings offer several tourist activities, such as fishing trips, bird watching, hiking, and boat rides. Swimming is also possible but should be done cautiously due to malaria and bilharzia.

Lake Victoria is situated in northern Tanzania on the border with Uganda and Kenya, close to the Serengeti National Park. The lake, which is located between the Western and Eastern Rift Valley, covers an area of 69,484 square km, of which 49% lies in Tanzania, 45% in Uganda, and 6% in Kenya.

It is Africa’s largest freshwater lake and the second largest in the world after Lake Superior in North America. Lake Victoria flows out into the River Nile, supplying the river with fresh water throughout the whole year.

The biological diversity of Lake Victoria is in bad condition. Before the 1950s, the biodiversity was enormous, with over 500 fish species. The domestic fish species are extinct because of the introduction of the Nile perch, which should eat the water hyacinth but instead feeds everything. Belgian colonists introduced The water hyacinth to Lake Victoria and its surroundings. Soon, the plant, which had no natural enemies, became an ecological plague, especially for Kisumu Bay on the Kenyan side. It causes difficulties with fishing, transportation, drinking water supply, and hydroelectric power generation.

The wildlife of the lake, such as various bird species, chimpanzees, sitatunga antelopes, and elephants, are protected by national park status.

The settlements alongside the lake are mostly agricultural, inhabited by farmers and cattle herders. Major cities are Bukoba, Mwanza, and Musoma on the Tanzanian side, Jinja and Kampala in Uganda, and Kisumu in Kenya. The lake is also used economically for fishing, cotton and coffee production, and agricultural activities. The lake and its ports are used for transportation and transboundary trade between Kenya and Uganda. Lake Victoria has three island shores worth visiting: Ukrewe, Rubondo, and Ukara Island.

The lake and the surroundings offer several tourist activities, such as fishing trips, bird watching, hiking, and boat rides. Swimming is also possible but should be done cautiously due to malaria and bilharzia.