VICTORIA NYANZA, ni-an'za, or URIC RIME, oo-ke-re'we', central Africa, the largest of the Nile lakes and the second in size of the fresh-water lakes of the world, extends from 0" 45' N. to 2° 50' S., and from 32° 30' to 35° E., and lies about 3,900 feet above sea-level, between British and German East Africa. Since 1901 a railroad with its terminus opposite Uvuma Island, near the northeast shore, con nects the lake through British East Africa with Mombasa on the east coast and through Ger man East Africa a line is being laid to connect Mwansa on the south shore with Tabora, on the railroad running westward from Dar-es Salaam on the east coast to Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika. Including the numerous islands with which it is studded, Victoria Nyanza has an area estimated at 27,000 square miles. In the southeast the largest island, Ukerewe., by which name the lake is locally known, is 25 miles long with a maximum breadth of 12 miles, but is uninhabited. In the Sesse Archi pelago in the northwest are a British govern ment station and Catholic and Protestant mis sions. A few steamers and dhows ply on the
'water. The lake receives numerous inflows, the most important of which is the Kagera, the head-stream of the Nile (q.v.), which enters it on the west. Other tributaries of the lake are the Katonga on the west, the Nzoia on the northeast, the Shimiyu on the south and the Ruwana on the southeast. The lake is sup posed to be partly fed by springs. The outlet of the lake, or Somerset Nile, which flows 'northwest to the Albert Nyanza, whence it :issues as the Nile proper, was discovered by Speke on 28 July 1862. While the western shore of the lake is mostly flat, and the northern in many places marshy, the eastern shore pre sents high mountains. The Victoria Nyanza was discovered by Speke, who caught sight of its southern end near Mwansa on 4 Aug. 1858, :and it was afterward, in 1861-62, visited and further explored by its discoverer, along with iGrant, and between January and May 1875 it was circumnavigated by Stanley.