Facts about Lake Victoria

1. 08

   Across its three bordering nations, Lake Victoria supports approximately 250,000 fishing vessels, with most being small-scale operations using traditional methods like hand nets and basket traps.

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2. 07

   Lake Victoria's water level fluctuates significantly due to rainfall patterns, dropping nearly two meters between 1984 and 2005 during a severe drought that threatened regional water supplies.

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3. 06

   Approximately 40,000 tons of fish are caught annually from Lake Victoria, supporting a major commercial fishing industry that employs over 4 million people across the three bordering nations.

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4. 05

   Nile perch introduced to Lake Victoria in the 1950s grew to dominate the lake by the 1980s, causing the extinction of approximately 200 native cichlid fish species.

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5. 04

   Between 30 and 40 million people depend on Lake Victoria for drinking water, fishing, and transportation across East Africa.

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6. 03

   In 1954, the Aswan High Dam's construction began upstream, eventually raising Lake Victoria's water level and altering the lake's ecosystem significantly.

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7. 02

   Over 500 fish species inhabit Lake Victoria, making it one of the world's most biodiverse freshwater ecosystems despite covering less than 1% of Earth's surface water.

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8. 01

   The world's second-largest freshwater lake by surface area, Lake Victoria spans 68,870 square kilometers across Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.

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