Which African lake is the world’s second-deepest lake?

Lake Tanganyika is the world’s second-deepest lake.

The lake reaches a maximum depth of about 1,470 metres, placing it behind Russia’s Lake Baikal. It lies in the Great Rift Valley and is bordered by Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Zambia.

Tanganyika is also one of the world’s oldest lakes, estimated to be between 9 and 12 million years old. Its great age and isolation have allowed many fish species to evolve there, especially cichlids. The lake is long and narrow, stretching for roughly 673 kilometres.

Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake by surface area, but it is much shallower. Lake Malawi is another major African rift lake with exceptional biodiversity. Lake Tanganyika drains northward through the Lukuga River, which eventually connects with the Congo River system.