Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika (/ˌtæŋɡənˈjiːkə, -ɡæn-/; Kirundi : Ikiyaga ca Tanganyika) is an African Great Lake. It is the second-oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second-largest by volume, and the second deepest, in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is the world's longest freshwater lake. The lake is shared among four countries—Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Zambia—with Tanzania (46%) and DRC (40%) possessing the majority of the lake. It drains into the Congo River system and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean.
| Lake Tanganyika | |
|---|---|
Lake Tanganyika from space, June 1985 | |
Lake Tanganyika | |
Lake Tanganyika map | |
| Coordinates | 6°06′S 29°30′E |
| Lake type | Ancient lake, Rift Valley Lake |
| Primary inflows | Ruzizi River Malagarasi River Kalambo River |
| Primary outflows | Lukuga River |
| Catchment area | 231,000 km2 (89,000 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia |
| Max. length | 673 km (418 mi) |
| Max. width | 72 km (45 mi) |
| Surface area | 32,900 km2 (12,700 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 570 m (1,870 ft) |
| Max. depth | 1,470 m (4,820 ft) |
| Water volume | 18,750 km3 (4,500 cu mi) |
| Residence time | 5500 years |
| Shore length1 | 1,828 km (1,136 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 773 m (2,536 ft) |
| Settlements | Kigoma, Tanzania Kalemie, DRC Bujumbura, Burundi Mpulungu, Zambia |
| References | |
Ramsar Wetland | |
| Official name | Tanganyika |
| Designated | 2 February 2007 |
| Reference no. | 1671 |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
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