Lake Edward

Lake Edward, also Edward Nyanza, lake, east central Africa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire) and Uganda, 912 m (2,990 ft) above sea level. It has an area of about 2150 sq km (about 830 sq mi) and is connected on the northeast with Lake George (or Lake Dweru), in Uganda, by means of the Kazinga Channel. Lake Edward is fed by the Rutshuru River, a headstream of the White Nile. The lake has only one outlet, the Semliki River, which links it with Lake Albert to the north. High escarpments run along the western shore of the lake and mountains rise on the northwestern shore. The water is brackish with mineral salts. Many fish and crocodiles live in the lake, and waterfowl abound on its shores. The Anglo-American explorer Sir Henry Morton Stanley discovered the lake in 1889. The lake was formerly called Albert Edward Nyanza.