The Rift Valley lakes are a group of lakes formed in the Great Rift Valley which runs from south-western Asia through the whole eastern side of the African continent from north to south, with branches into Central Africa. These lakes include some of the oldest, largest and deepest lakes in the world, and many are freshwater ecoregions of great biodiversity, while others are alkaline or soda lakes supporting highly specialised organisms. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... For other uses, see Africa (disambiguation). ... An ecoregion, sometimes called a bioregion, is a relatively large area of land or water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of natural communities. ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ...

The World Wildlife Fund has designated the African Rift Valley lakes one of its Global 200 priority ecoregions for conservation. Note: After losing a court case in 2002 on the use of the initials WWF, the organization previously known as the World Wrestling Federation has rebranded itself as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. WWF - The Conservation Organization was formerly known as World Wildlife Fund and Worldwide Fund for Nature. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In this article, the major lakes are listed, generally in order from north to south, and more detailed articles on each lake can be accessed through the linked names.

Greater and Lesser Flamingos flock to Lake Nakuru in Kenya

South-Western Asia Rift Valley Lakes

Two major lakes in the Great Rift Valley are located in Asia: World map showing the location of Asia. ...

• The Dead Sea
• The Sea of Galilee

The Dead Sea (Hebrew: ‎; Arabic: ‎) is the Earths lowest point not covered by ice, at 418 m (1371 feet) below sea level and falling[2], and the deepest hypersaline lake in the world, at 330 m (1083 feet) deep. ... The Sea of Galilee is Syrias largest freshwater lake. ...

Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes

The Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes are the northernmost of the African Rift Valley lakes. In central Ethiopia the Great Rift Valley splits the Ethiopian highlands into northern and southern halves, and the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes occupy the floor of the rift valley between the two highlands. Most of the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes do not have an outlet, and most are alkaline. The major ones are This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Ethiopian Highlands with Ras Dashan in the background. ... The common (Arrhenius) definition of a base is a chemical compound that either donates hydroxide ions or absorbs hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. ...

• Lake Abaya (1160 km², elevation 1285 m), the largest Ethiopian Rift Valley lake
• Lake Chamo (551 km², 1235 m)
• Lake Awasa (129 km², elevation 1708 m)
• Lake Zway (485 km², elevation 1636 m)
• Lake Abijatta (205 km², elevation 1573 m)
• Lake Koka (250 km², elevation 1590 m)

Lake Tana (3600 km², elevation 1788 m), the source of the Blue Nile, is not a Rift Valley lake, but lies in the Ethiopian highlands north of the Rift Valley. Lake Abaya is a lake in Ethiopia. ... Lake Chamo is a lake in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. ... Lake Awasa is a lake in Ethiopia, located in the Rift Valley south of Addis Ababa. ... Lake Zway is one of the freshwater Rift Valley lakes of Ethiopia. ... Lake Tana (also spelled Tana, Amharic: ጣና ሐይቅ Ṭānā Hāyḳ,Lake Tana, originally Tsana, Geez ጻና Ṣānā; sometimes called Dembiya after the region to the north of the lake) is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia. ... Map of the Blue Nile (in Spanish) The Blue Nile (Amharic: ዓባይ; transliterated: abay; Arabic: النيل الأزرق; transliterated: an-NÄ«l al-Ä€zraq) is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. ...

Eastern Rift Valley lakes (Kenya and Tanzania)

South of the Ethiopian highlands, the Rift Valley splits in two. The Eastern Rift is home to the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes, while most of the Central African Rift Valley lakes lie in the Western Rift. The Kenyan section of the Rift Valley is home to eight lakes, of which two are freshwater and the rest alkaline. Of the latter, the shallow soda lakes of the Eastern Rift Valley have crystallised salt turning the shores white, and are are famous for the large flocks of flamingo that feed on crustaceans. Flamingos are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus and family Phoenicopteridae. ... Classes & Subclasses Branchiopoda Phyllopoda Sarsostraca Remipedia Cephalocarida Maxillopoda Thecostraca Tantulocarida Branchiura Pentastomida Mystacocarida Copepoda Ostracoda Myodocopa Podocopa Malacostraca Phyllocarida Hoplocarida Eumalacostraca The crustaceans (Crustacea) are a large group of arthropods, comprising approximately 52,000 described species [1], and are usually treated as a subphylum [2].They include various familiar animals...

View over Lake Turkana

• Lake Turkana (6405 km², elevation 360 m), alkaline, is the largest of the Kenyan lakes, on the border of Kenya and Ethiopia.
• Lake Logipi is a seasonal, shallow hot-spring fed soda lake in the Suguta Valley just south of Lake Turkana.
• Lake Baringo (80 sq miles, elevation 1000 m) freshwater, second largest of the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes,
• Lake Bogoria(34 km², elevation 990 m) shallow soda lake, a national preserve
• Lake Nakuru (40 km², elevation 1759 m) shallow soda lake, has been a national park since 1968
• Lake Elmenteita, shallow soda lake
• Lake Naivasha (160 km² — varies somewhat with rainfall,elevation 1,890 m), freshwater lake, is the highest in this group.
• Lake Magadi, shallow soda lake

The Tanzanian section of this group has two alkaline lakes: Download high resolution version (1024x768, 111 KB)Lake Turkana, taken by user:AdamPG in 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 111 KB)Lake Turkana, taken by user:AdamPG in 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... View over Lake Turkana Lake Turkana, formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya (although the far northern end of the lake crosses into Ethiopia), which covers a surface area of 6405 km² (2473 mi²), making it the worlds largest permanent desert... Lake Logipi is a saline, alkaline lake that lies at the northern end of the arid Suguta Valley in the northern Kenya Rift. ... Lake Baringo is, after Lake Turkana, the most northern of the Great Rift Valley lakes of Kenya, with a surface area of about 130 sq km. ... Lake Borgoria is north of Lake Baringo, Kenya, and is not a fresh water lake. ... Lake Nakuru National Park is 168 km² It is very close to the second largest city in Kenya, Nakuru. ... Lake Elmenteita is an 18 sq km soda lake, in the eastern part of the Great Rift Valley. ... Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake in Kenya, lying north west of Nairobi, outside the town of Naivasha. ... Lake Magadi Lake Magadi is the southermost lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley, lying north east of Lake Natron. ...

• Lake Natron, shallow soda lake
• Lake Eyasi, shallow soda lake

Lake Natron, here from 300 km overhead, changes colors with the seasons. ... Lake Eyasi from space, May 1993 Lake Eyasi, located south of the Serengeti National Park and immediately southwest of the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania (3°35′ S 35°0′ E) , is one of several lakes on the floor of the East African Rift Valley. ...

Western or Albertine Rift Valley Lakes

The lakes of the Western or Albertine Rift, together with Lake Victoria, include the largest, deepest and oldest of the Rift Valley lakes. They are also referred too as the Central African lakes. Lakes Albert, Victoria, and Edward are part of the Nile River basin. Lake Victoria and the Great Rift Valley Lake Victoria height variation The lake as seen from space, looking west, with other members of the African Great Lakes forming an arc in the middle distance. ... There is also Nile, a death metal band from South Carolina, USA. The Nile in Egypt Length 6 695 km Elevation of the source 1 134 m Average discharge 2 830 m³/s Area watershed 3 400 000 km² Origin Africa Mouth the Mediterranean Basin countries Uganda - Sudan - Egypt The...

Lake Victoria (elevation 1134 m), with an area of 68,800 km², is the largest lake in Africa, but is not actually within the rift valley; it occupies a depression between the eastern and western rifts, formed by the uplift of the rifts to either side. Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi are sometimes collectively known as the African Great Lakes. Lake Victoria and the Great Rift Valley Lake Victoria height variation The lake as seen from space, looking west, with other members of the African Great Lakes forming an arc in the middle distance. ... The Great Lakes and the East African coastline as seen from space. ...

They Western Rift Valley Lakes are freshwater and home to an extraordinary number of endemic species. Approximately 1,500 cichlid fish (Cichlidae) species live in the lakes (See Hubert Sauper's Darwin's Nightmare and the resulting plummet in biodiversity). In addition to the cichlids, endemic species of Clariidae, Claroteidae, Mochokidae, Poeciliidae, Mastacembelidae, Centropomidae, Cyprinidae, Clupeidae and other fish families are also found in these lakes. The lakes are also important habitats for a number of amphibian species, including Bufo kisoloensis, Bufo keringyagae, Cardioglossa cyaneospila, and Nectophryne batesii. Genera Cichlids (pronounced “sick-lids”) are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. ... Genera Allabenchelys Channallabes Clariallabes Clarias Dinotopteroides Dinotopterus Dolichallabes Encheloclarias Gymnallabes Heterobranchus Horaglanis Platyallabes Platyclarias Tanganikallabes Uegitglanis Xenoclarias Xenoglanis Airbreathing catfishes are fishes comprising the family Clariidae. ... Genera Subfamily Auchenoglanidinae Auchenoglanis Liauchenoglanis Notoglanidium Parauchenoglanis Platyglanis Subfamily Claroteinae Amarginops Bathybagrus Chrysichthys Clarotes Gephyroglanis Lophiobagrus Pardiglanis Phyllonemus The Claroteidae are a family of catfish (Order Siluriformes), part of class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes). ... Genera Acanthocleithron Atopochilus Brachysynodontis Chiloglanis Euchilichthys Hemisynodontis Microsynodontis Mochokiella Mochokus Synodontis The Mochokidae are a family of catfish from Africa that includes the squeakers and upside-down catfish. ... Genera Alfaro Belonesox Brachyrhapis Cnesterodon Gambusia (mosquitofishes) Girardichthys Girardinus Heterandria Heterophallus Jenynsia Limia Micropoecilia Phallichthys Phalloceros Phalloptychus Platypoecilus Poecilia (mollies) Poeciliopsis Priapella Pseudoxiphophorus Quitana Xiphophorus (swordtails, platys) Poeciliidae is a family of fresh-water fishes which are live-bearing aquarium fish (they give birth to live young). ... The Mastacembelidae are a family of fishes, known as the spiny eels. ... Genera (see text) The Centropomidae are a family of freshwater and marine fishes in order Perciformes. ... Genera (many, see text) The family Cyprinidae, named after the Greek word for goldfish, consists of the carps and minnows. ... Genera See text. ... For other uses, see Amphibian (disambiguation). ... Species See text. ...

• Lake Albert (5300 km², elevation 615 m) is the northernmost lake in the western rift.
• Lake Edward (2325 km², elevation 912 m) drains north into Lake Albert
• Lake Kivu (2220 km², elevation 1460 m) empties into Lake Tanganyika via the Ruzizi River.
• Lake Tanganyika (32,000 km², elevation 773 m) is the largest and deepest of the Rift Valley lakes (more than 1400 meters), and is thought to be the second-oldest lake on the planet (after Lake Baikal). It is part of the Congo River basin, feeding into the River Congo via the Lukuga River.

Lake Albert and its river systems. ... Lake Edward can be seen on this map of Uganda Lake Edward is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. ... Lake Kivu forms part of the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo Satellite image of Lake Kivu courtesy of NASA. Lakeside in Rwanda Lake Kivu is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. ... The Ruzizi River flows from Lake Kivu to Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa. ... Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3° 20 to 8° 48 South and from 29° 5 to 31° 15 East). ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... adam loves kasey! brandon loves megan M.she is mad about her computer |river_name = Congo River |image_name = Brazzaville ISS007-E-6305. ... Image of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, taken by NASA; the Congo River is visible in the center of the photograph Length 4,380 km Elevation of the source m Average discharge 41,800 m³/s Area watershed 3,680,000 km² Origin Mouth Atlantic Ocean Basin countries Dem. ... The Lualaba is the headstream of the Congo River, running from the vicinity of Lubumbashi north to Kisangani, where the Congo officially begins. ...

Southern Rift Valley Lakes

The Southern Rift Valley lakes are like the Western Rift Valley lakes in that, with one exception, they are freshwater lakes.

• Lake Rukwa (about 5670 km² but quite variable) in Tanzania is the alkaline exception, lying south-east of Tanganyika, and has no outlet.
• Lake Malawi (30,000 km², elevation 500 m), the second largest and second deepest of the Rift Valley lakes at over 700 meters, is drained by the Shire River, a tributary of the Zambezi River.
• Lake Malombe (450 km²) is on the Shire River
• Lake Chilwa (1750 km², elevation 622 m) has no outlet but extensive wetlands. It is the southernmost of the Rift Valley lakes.

Lake Rukwa is a lake in southwestern Tanzania. ... Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa, Lake Nyassa, or Lake Niassa after the Yao word for lake (officially called Niassa in Mozambique), is the most southerly lake in the Great African Rift Valley system. ... The Shire is a river in Southern Africa. ... Zambezi River in North Western Zambia The Zambezi (also spelled Zambesi) is a river in Southern Africa. ... The Shire is a river in Southern Africa. ... Lake Chilwa is the third-largest lake in Malawi, after Lake Malawi and Lake Malombe. ...

Other Rift Valley Lakes

• Lake Mweru (4350 km², elevation 922 m) lies in the Lake Mweru-Luapula graben which is a branch off the Albertine rift.
• Lake Mweru Wantipa (1500,km², elevation 930 m) is a marshy lake between lakes Tanganyika and Mweru, and is endorheic but may overflow into Lake Mweru at times of very high flood.

In the Tertiary geological period, the Red Sea may have been the largest Great Rift Valley lake, as the Bab el Mandeb closed and cut off the sea from the Indian Ocean. It eventually dried out. Lake Mweru is a lake located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 150 km west of the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. ... USGS image A graben is a depressed block of land bordered by parallel faults. ... Lake Mweru Wantipa is a lake in northern Zambia. ... Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3° 20 to 8° 48 South and from 29° 5 to 31° 15 East). ... Lake Mweru is a lake located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 150 km west of the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. ... The shores of Lake Hart, an endorheic desert lake in South Australia In geography, an endorheic basin—also called a terminal or closed basin—is a watershed from which there is no outflow of water, either on the surface as rivers, or underground by flow or diffusion through rock or... For other uses, see Tertiary (disambiguation). ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Bab-el-Mandeb area with description The Bab-el-Mandeb, alternatively Bab el Mandab, Bab al Mandab, or Bab al Mandeb meaning Gate of Tears in Arabic (باب المندب), is the strait separating the continents of Asia (Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula) and Africa (Djibouti, north of Somalia on the Horn of...

See also

• Great Rift Valley