Lake Victoria Volume: ~2,760 km³ — Africa's Largest Lake by Area

Lake Victoria (Nam Lolwe / Nalubaale / Ukerewe) holds approximately 2,760 cubic kilometers (662 cubic miles) of water, making it:

• Largest lake by surface area in Africa (59,947 km² / 23,146 sq mi).
• Second-largest freshwater lake by surface area worldwide (after Lake Superior).
• 9th largest by volume globally (relatively shallow: max depth 80–84 m, avg 40 m).

Hydrology & Basin

• Primary inflow: Kagera River (~30% of input).
• Primary outflow: White Nile (Victoria Nile) at Jinja, Uganda — controlled by Nalubaale & Kiira dams.
• Catchment: 184,000 km² across Tanzania (49%), Uganda (45%), Kenya (6%), Rwanda, Burundi.
• Residence time: ~23 years (long — sensitive to pollution).

Economic & Ecological Importance

• Supports ~40 million people in basin.
• World's largest freshwater fishery by yield (~1 million tons/yr); dominated by Nile perch (introduced) and dagaa (native sardine).
• Major transport corridor (ferries connect Mwanza, Bukoba, Kisumu, Entebbe, Port Bell).
• Hydropower: Owen Falls (Nalubaale/Kiira) dams supply Uganda & export to Kenya.

Threats

• Eutrophication (nutrient runoff → algal blooms, hypoxia).
• Invasive species (water hyacinth, Nile perch disrupted native cichlids).
• Overfishing, climate variability, shoreline degradation.

Lake Victoria is a shared lifeline for East Africa—its volume may seem modest compared to deep rift lakes, but its vast area makes it the region's hydrological heart.