What is the largest lake in Africa by surface area?

Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa by surface area. It covers roughly 59,947 square kilometres, making it larger than Africa’s other major lakes, including Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi.

The lake lies in East Africa and is shared by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Its name honours Queen Victoria; British explorer John Hanning Speke named it in 1858 after identifying it as a likely source of the Nile. The lake’s principal outflow is the White Nile, which leaves near Jinja in Uganda.

Lake Victoria is relatively shallow for its size, with an average depth of about 40 metres and a maximum depth of 81 metres. It is famous for its extraordinary cichlid fish diversity, although introduced Nile perch and other environmental pressures have severely affected native species.

A common mix-up is Lake Tanganyika, which is Africa’s second-largest lake by surface area but far deeper and much longer. Lake Victoria is the clear answer when the comparison is based on surface area.