General KnowledgeRandom information

Volume 1

Prepared By Bhaskar Sailesh

Lake Victoria• One of Africa’s great lakes located

between Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

• Named after Queen Victoria of United Kingdom.

• Discovered by Mr. John Henning Speke.

• Has a surface area of 68,000 Sq Km approx.

• It is the largest Tropical lake in the world.

• 2nd Largest freshwater lake by area.• 9th largest continental lake in terms

of volume.• Contains about 2750 Cu Km of

Water.

Pic- View of lake Victoria from Land Sat 7.

Lake Victoria• Lake Victoria receives it water

primarily from direct precipitation and thousands of small streams flowing into this lake.

• The largest stream being the Kagera river.

• Two major rivers leave the lake- The White Nile and the Katonga River.

• The Katonga river connects Lake Victoria to Lake Georgia.

• The White Nile flows long distance and empties in to the Mediterranean sea.

Pic- Mother Crocodile with its Hatchling

Pic- Fish trying to Catch the Eagle.

Lake Victoria

Pic(Above)- Flamingoes

Pic(right)- Fischer’s Love Birds

Pic(Above)- Roan Antelopes

Pic(above)- Cichlids

Pic( Above)- Hippopotamus

Lake Tanganyika• Lake Tanganyika is an African great

lake sharing its shore-line with four countries- Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Burundi and Zambia.

• It is estimated to be the worlds 2nd largest freshwater lake by volume and depth.

• It is also the worlds longest freshwater lake.

• The water flows into Congo river system and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean.

• It is popular for its Cichlids population.

• Home to the Rusuzi National Park Pic- Lake Tanganyika Fish Map

Pic(above)- Spoon BillsPic(below)- Hippopotamus

Pic(above)- Cichlids

Pic(below)- Fishermen catching Fish

Lake Malawi• Also known as Lake

Nyasa(in Mozambique), Lake Malawi is another Great lake of Africa located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.

• It is the Southern most lake in the East African Rift System.

• It is the third largest and second deepest lake in Africa. Also 9th largest in the world. Pic- Lake Malawi as seen from

orbit.

Lake Malawi• It has the highest

number of fish species than any other freshwater body in the world including more than 1000 species of Cichlids.

• It was officially declared a reserve on June 10,2011 by the Government of Mozambique.

Pic- Cichlids in Lake Malawi

Pic- Eagle catching its prey

Pic(above)- Sunset in Lake Malawi

Pic(below)- Children enjoying in the lake Pic(below)- An African Elephant

Pic(right)- Cichlids Species found in Lake Malawi

Parana River• A river in the South Central

South America.• Flows some 4880 Km through

Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.• The name Parana is an

abbreviation of the phrase “Para rehe onava” which means “Like the Sea” in Tupi language.

• It merges first with the Paraguay River and then with Uruguay river to form the Rio de la Plata before emptying out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Pic-Parana River flowing through brazil

Pic(above)-Parana River near Buenos Aires

Pic(left)- Young Crocodile resting on a trunk.

Pic(above)- Triple Frontier on the Parana River.

Tepui• A Tepui is a Table top mountain

found in the highlands of South America especially in Venezuela.

• The word Tepui means “House of Gods” in the native language of Pemon, the indigenous people who inhibit the Gran Sabana.

• It is found in isolated entities rather than in chains.

• Due to this it acts as a host to a unique array of endemic plant and animal species. Pic-Famous Tepuis

Tepui

• Some of the most outstanding Tepui are Neblina, Ayuntepui, Roraima and Autana.

• They are typically composed of Pre-crambrian Quartz and Sandstone.

• Ayuntepui is the source of the Angel falls- the world’s highest waterfall.

Pic- Angel Falls in Ayuntepui

Tepui

Pic(above)- Eagles hovering around a Tepui

Pic(right)- Autana Tepui

Pic(right)-Roraima Tepui

Mara River• The Mara River is a river in the

Mara region of Tanzania and Nerok County in Kenya.

• It lies across the migration path of animals such as Zebras, Wilder beast, Elephants, etc.

• It is the main river in the Serengeti and Masai-Mara National Park.

• It flows about 395Km before emptying out into lake Victoria.

• The river is divided into regions- The Mau Escarpments, The Kenyan Rengelands, The Protected Areas, Mara region of Tanzania

Pic(below)-Mara River Map

Pic(right)-Mara River

Mara RiverPic(left)- Zebras quenching thirst in the river

Pic(Below)- Migrating Wilder Beasts

Pic(above)- Crocodiles & Hippos

Cichlids• Cichlids are fishes

belonging to the family Cichlidae.

• The family has more than 1650 species. More species are discovered each year.

• These are among the most popular freshwater fish kept in home aquariums. Pic-Cichlids

Cichlids• They are abundantly

found in Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria.

• Thy are unique to these lakes due to its isolated existence.

• Cichlids can be Herbivores, Detritivores, and sometimes predators.

Pics-Cichlids

Lake Baikal

• Lake Baikal is a rift lake in the south of Russian region of Siberia.

• It is located between the Irkutsk Oblast and Buryat Republic.

• It is the largest lake in terms of volume and depth-1650 meters.

Pic-Lake Baikal location

Lake Baikal

• Lake Baikal is home to more than 1700 species of plants and animals, two-thirds of which are not found any where else in the world.

• It is also home to the Buryat tribe who reside on the eastern side of the lake.

Pic-Cities and villages around lake Baikal.

Pic-Nerpa Seals resting

Pic- Nerpa Seals(Left) and Lake Baikal frozen(below)

Pic- Buryat tribe(above) and Olkhon Island(right)

Iguassu Falls• One of the natural wonders of

the world, the Iguassu falls are situated on the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

• It is a UNESCO World heritage site.

• The word Iguassu comes from the Tupi word “Y” meaning Water and “ûasú” meaning Big.

• The first European to discover the falls was the Spanish Conquistadors Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541.

Pic-Iguassu Falls

Iguassu Falls

Legend has it that a God planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipi who fled away with her mortal lover Tarobá in a Canoe. In rage the God sliced the river, creating the waterfall and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.

Pic- Tarobá and Naipi

Deer Cave• Deer Cave is located in

Malaysian Borneo and is a show cave attraction of Gunung Mulu national Park.

• It was surveyed in 1961 by G.E.Wilford.

• The cave is known as Gua Payau or Gua Rusa by the local Penan and Berawan people.

• It is said to have received its name because of the deer that comes to lick salt bearing rocks and shelter them.

Pic-Deer cave outside view

Pic-Deer Cave Map

Deer Cave• The cave has a unique

fauna comprising of over 30 species of bats.

• The cave cockroaches are also present in large numbers feeding on the droppings of bat.

• Besides these, the cave is also famous for Cave swiftlets, which makes its nest using its saliva.

Pic(right)-Bats in Deer Cave

Pic- Cockroaches(above) and Cave Swiftlets(right)

Deer Cave