Lake Kivu

About Lake Kivu:

• It is one of the great lakes of East Africa, situated between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the west and Rwanda to the east.
• It is Rwanda’s largest lake and the sixth largest in Africa.
• It is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift.
• Lying at 1,460 metres above sea level, it occupies 1,040 square miles (2,700 sq.km).
• 58% of its waters are lying in the DRC; the rest are situated in Rwanda.
• It is 90 km long and 50 km wide. 
• The lake has a maximum depth of 475 m and an average depth of 220 m. 
• Its irregular shores form a number of inlets and peninsulas, and plenty of waterfalls.
• Lake Kivu empties into the Rusizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika. 
• The tenth largest inland island on the planet,Idjwi Island, is located on Kivu Lake.

Q1: What is the East African Rift?

The East African Rift System is one of the most extensive rifts on Earth’s surface, extending from Jordan in southwestern Asia southward through eastern Africa to Mozambique. The system is some 4,000 miles (6,400 km) long and averages 30–40 miles (48–64 km) wide.

Source: At least 78 dead after boat sinks in Congo's Lake Kivu, says governor