Download pdf - Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika

by: Julia Rowe

World Cultures – Marr

Period: B

• Estimated to have formed over 10 million years ago

• Been inhabited for only 440 years

• Average pH is 8.6 - 9.2

• Part of the Western Great Rift Valley

• Part of the Congo River Basin–Primary inflows include the Ruzizi River, the Malagarasi River, and the Kalambo River–Primary Outflows include the Lukuga River

• It is an international lake

• The 4th largest lake in the world in area

• The 3rd largest freshwater lake in volume

• The 2nd deepest lake in the world

• Is also spelled Lake Tanganika

Quick Facts

Location

• Lake Tanganyika is located in central Africa

• Lake Tanganyika is owned by four

different countries: DR Congo,

Tanzania, Burundi, and Zambia– Democratic Republic of Congo

owns 45%– Tanzania owns 41%– Burundi owns 8%– Zambia owns 6%

QuickTimeª and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.





Dimensions • Largest volume of the three lakes in the Great Rift Valley

– Has a volume of 4,560 cubic miles or 19,000 cubic km– Compared to the Lake Superior, the largest of the Great

Lake that has a volume of 2,800– Has almost as much fresh water as all of the Great Lakes

combined

• It shore line is 1,180 mi or 1,900 km long– That is equivalent to driving to California and back– 43% of the shoreline is rocky– 21% is a mixture of rock & sand– 31% is sand– 10% is marshes

• It is 420 mi long and on average 30 mi wide

Agricultural Products

• Maize (corn)

• Tobacco

• Rice

• Sugarcane

• Coffee

• Beans

• Groundnuts (peanut like)

• Cassava

• Cattle

• Goats









QuickTimeª and a decompressorare needed to see this picture.




are needed to see this picture.QuickTimeª and a

decompressorare needed to see this picture.





Climate

The Wet Season• From September to May

• Average water temperature: 40 degrees Fahrenheit

• High humidity

• Thunderstorms are common

• A substantial amount of rain

• The temperature of the lake rises during the wet season from September to November

The Dry Season• From May to August

• Average water temperature: 33 degrees Fahernheit

• Dry weather

• Strong winds predominantly from the south or southeast

• Loses the heat gained in the wet season due to evaporation

There are two main weather season: Wet & Dry

Wildlife• There are 2,156 known species in Lake

Tanganyika– 759 known species of aLgae– 325 known species of fish, 200 are cichLids

This incLudes The goLiaTh Tiger fish which can weigh over 70 Lbs

& The gianT caTfish which can weigh over 110 Lbs

– 219 known species of crusTaceans~ 60 are snaiL

~ 15 are shrimp

~ 8 are crabs

– 171 known species of birds– 81 known species of aquaTic pLanTs

• Lake Tanganyika’s fishing indusTry suppLies jobs for 45,00 peopLe.













Ferry Overloads

• Ferry accidents are common in Lake Tanganyika– The primary reason of accidents is overloading– Another, but less common, cause are drunk captains of the

ferries




are needed to see this picture.QuickTimeª and a decompressor


Bibliography

• Collected. ”Lake Tanganyika" Wikipedia Foundation Inc. 2003. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. 7 Feb. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Tanganyika>.

• Collected. “Lake Tanganyika." World Lakes Database. 2002. International Lake Environment Committee. 1 Oct. 2002 <http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/afr/afr-06.html>.

• Jorgensen, Sven Erik; Ntakimazi, Gaspard; Kayombo, Sixtus. ”Lake Tanganyika: Eperience and Lessons Learned Brief." Pharmaceutical Sciences 2005: 363-375 . University of Burundi, Royal Danish University, Dar es Salaam University. 2005 <http://www.iwlearn.net/publications/ll/laketanganyika_2005.pdf>.