Albert, Lake

Lake on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Great Rift Valley; area 5,600 sq km/2,162 sq mi. The first European to see it was the British explorer Samuel Baker, who named it Lake Albert after the Prince Consort. From 1973 to 1997 it was called Lake Mobutu after President Mobutu of Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo).

The lake lies at 616 m/2,021 ft and has a maximum depth of 61 m/200 ft. The White Nile flows from the northern end of the lake. It is connected with Lake Edward on the south by the Semliki River. The chief port on the Uganda side is Butiaba and the principal ports on the Democratic Republic of Congo side are Mahagi and Kasenyi.