What is the longest freshwater lake in the world?

The longest freshwater lake in the world is Lake Tanganyika.

Lake Tanganyika extends for roughly 673 kilometres from north to south in East-Central Africa, making it the world’s longest freshwater lake. It occupies a deep branch of the East African Rift and is bordered by Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Zambia.

Tanganyika is not merely long; it is also exceptionally deep and ancient. With a maximum depth of about 1,470 metres, it is Africa’s deepest lake and the world’s second-deepest after Lake Baikal. Its great depth and volume reflect the tectonic forces that pulled the rift valley apart over millions of years. The lake is also the world’s second-largest freshwater lake by volume.

The lake supports distinctive aquatic life, including many endemic cichlid fish species. Its main outflow is the Lukuga River, which eventually joins the Congo River system. A common mix-up is Lake Superior: Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, but Tanganyika is longer. Lake Baikal is deeper and holds more water, but it is not the longest.