Uganda is a well-watered country. Four of East Africa's Great Lakes; Lake Victoria, Lake Kyoga, Lake Albert, and Lake Edward, lie within Uganda or along its borders. Lake Victoria, Africa's largest fresh water body and the world's second largest, dominates the Southeastern corner of the Nation, with almost one-half of its 10,200 square-kilometre area lying inside the Ugandan territory. It feeds the upper waters of the Nile River, which is referred to in this region as the Victoria Nile. Lake Victoria is one of the major features that make Uganda tours unique especially its Ssese group of Islands which are "a jewel within the Lake".
The River Nile is the world's longest river stretching its source in Lake Victoria, Uganda, to the Mediterranean Sea, covering a distance of 64,000 kilometres long journey. The Nile is one of the best attractions in Uganda especially its falls at Bujagali and the Murchison falls in Murchison Falls National Park. It is a home of adventurous water games like kayaking, whitewater rafting, Bungee jumping, swimming, sport fishing, launch cruising, bird watching, sun bathing, and scenic viewing. Uganda adventures are such an unforgettable experience partly because of the presence of the Nile.
Leaving Lake Victoria at Owen Falls, the Victoria Nile descends as it travels towards the northwest, widening to form Lake Kyoga. The Nile receives the Kafu River from the west before flowing north to Lake Albert. From Lake Albert, the Nile is known as the Albert Nile as it travels roughly 200 kilometres to the Sudan boarder.
In southern and western Uganda, geological activity over several centuries has shifted drainage patterns. The land west of Lake Victoria is traversed by valleys that were once rivers carrying the waters of Lake Victoria into the Congo River system. The Katonga River flows westward from Lake Victoria to Lake George. Lake George and Lake Edward are connected by the Kazinga Channel. The Semliki River flows into Lake Edward from the north, where it drains parts of Zaire and forms a portion of the Uganda-Zaire border. Bird life in this part of the country is prolific offering more than expected to the bird watchers.
Spectacular waterfalls occur on the Victoria Nile River at Murchison Falls just east of Lake Albert. At the narrowest point on the falls, the waters of the Nile pass through an opening barely seven meters wide. One of the tributaries of the Albert Nile, the Zoka River, drains the northwestern corner of Uganda. Other major rivers include the Aswa River in the north, the Pager River and the Dopeth-Okok River in the northeast, and the Mpologoma River, which drains into Lake Kyoga from the southeast.
Lake Kyoga and the surrounding basins dominate central Uganda. Extensions of Lake Kyoga include Lake Kwania, Lake Bugondo, and Lake Opeta. These "finger lakes" are surrounded by swampland during the rainy seasons. All lakes in the Lake Kyoga Basin are shallow, usually reaching a depth of only eight or nine metres, and Lake Opeta forms a separate lake during dry seasons. Along the border with Zaire, Lake Albert, Lake Edward, and Lake George occupy troughs in the western Rift Valley. All these Lakes are bird watching spots with thousands and thousands of bird species in addition to a lot of the aquatic flora and fauna.
All the above mentioned water resources offer great importance to tourism in Uganda and probably without them, Uganda's tourism would not exist. This is because they act as water sources all the wildlife sanctuaries like National Parks and Game Reserves in the areas where they are found. They also act as habitats to all the aquatic animals most of which are tourist attractions. Above all, they moderate the climate of the Country thus enabling tourism in Uganda to exist because it is dependent on nature. They also act as transport routes for tourists and in general, they are a source of food and water for the tourism sector. Uganda safaris would therefore be absent in the absence of Uganda's water resources.
The River Nile is the world's longest river stretching its source in Lake Victoria, Uganda, to the Mediterranean Sea, covering a distance of 64,000 kilometres long journey. The Nile is one of the best attractions in Uganda especially its falls at Bujagali and the Murchison falls in Murchison Falls National Park. It is a home of adventurous water games like kayaking, whitewater rafting, Bungee jumping, swimming, sport fishing, launch cruising, bird watching, sun bathing, and scenic viewing. Uganda adventures are such an unforgettable experience partly because of the presence of the Nile.
Leaving Lake Victoria at Owen Falls, the Victoria Nile descends as it travels towards the northwest, widening to form Lake Kyoga. The Nile receives the Kafu River from the west before flowing north to Lake Albert. From Lake Albert, the Nile is known as the Albert Nile as it travels roughly 200 kilometres to the Sudan boarder.
In southern and western Uganda, geological activity over several centuries has shifted drainage patterns. The land west of Lake Victoria is traversed by valleys that were once rivers carrying the waters of Lake Victoria into the Congo River system. The Katonga River flows westward from Lake Victoria to Lake George. Lake George and Lake Edward are connected by the Kazinga Channel. The Semliki River flows into Lake Edward from the north, where it drains parts of Zaire and forms a portion of the Uganda-Zaire border. Bird life in this part of the country is prolific offering more than expected to the bird watchers.
Spectacular waterfalls occur on the Victoria Nile River at Murchison Falls just east of Lake Albert. At the narrowest point on the falls, the waters of the Nile pass through an opening barely seven meters wide. One of the tributaries of the Albert Nile, the Zoka River, drains the northwestern corner of Uganda. Other major rivers include the Aswa River in the north, the Pager River and the Dopeth-Okok River in the northeast, and the Mpologoma River, which drains into Lake Kyoga from the southeast.
Lake Kyoga and the surrounding basins dominate central Uganda. Extensions of Lake Kyoga include Lake Kwania, Lake Bugondo, and Lake Opeta. These "finger lakes" are surrounded by swampland during the rainy seasons. All lakes in the Lake Kyoga Basin are shallow, usually reaching a depth of only eight or nine metres, and Lake Opeta forms a separate lake during dry seasons. Along the border with Zaire, Lake Albert, Lake Edward, and Lake George occupy troughs in the western Rift Valley. All these Lakes are bird watching spots with thousands and thousands of bird species in addition to a lot of the aquatic flora and fauna.
All the above mentioned water resources offer great importance to tourism in Uganda and probably without them, Uganda's tourism would not exist. This is because they act as water sources all the wildlife sanctuaries like National Parks and Game Reserves in the areas where they are found. They also act as habitats to all the aquatic animals most of which are tourist attractions. Above all, they moderate the climate of the Country thus enabling tourism in Uganda to exist because it is dependent on nature. They also act as transport routes for tourists and in general, they are a source of food and water for the tourism sector. Uganda safaris would therefore be absent in the absence of Uganda's water resources.
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