Which African lake is traditionally identified as the main source of the White Nile?

Lake Victoria is traditionally identified as the main source of the White Nile. It is Africa’s largest lake by surface area and the world’s largest tropical lake, occupying a basin shared by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.

The lake drains northward through the Victoria Nile, which flows into Lake Kyoga and then continues toward the White Nile system. The Nile’s ultimate headwaters are more complex because streams feeding Lake Victoria originate across a broad region of East Africa.

John Hanning Speke identified Lake Victoria as the source of the Nile’s main branch during his 1858 expedition, though the claim was debated by other explorers. The lake supports major fisheries and communities, but introduced Nile perch and other environmental pressures have affected its native biodiversity.