Lake tanganyika is the largest of a chain of lakes in the Great Rift Valley in eastern Africa. Geologic processes have formed the extraordinary [Page 1704]lakebed. Lake Tanganyika measures 673 kilometers by 15–90 kilometers, covers 32,900 square kilometers, and is the longest lake in the world. With a maximum depth of 1,470 meters, Lake Tanganyika is the second deepest lake in the world next to Lake Baikal. The lake is, therefore, considered the largest freshwater reservoir in Africa. It is also one of the most diverse freshwater ecosystems in the world, with several hundred endemic species.

The lake catchment is relatively small at 220,000 square kilometers, due to the structure of the Great Rift Valley's steep mountainous ridges. Two main rivers flowing into the lake are ...