Lake Tanganyika

Among the chain of lakes on the bottom of the Western Great Rift Valley, Lake Tanganyika is outstanding for its extraordinary north-south extension (670 km) and depth (1,470 m). It is the second largest of African lakes, the second deepest (next to L. Baikal) and the longest lake of the world.

The lake is situated within the Western Rift of the geographic feature known as the Great Rift Valley formed by the tectonic East African Rift, and is confined by the mountainous walls of the valley.

It is the largest rift lake in Africa and the second largest lake by surface area on the continent.

It is the deepest lake in Africa and holds the greatest volume of fresh water. It extends for 673 km (418 mi) in a general north-south direction and averages 50 km (31 mi) in width