Lake Edward

Like Lake Albert and Victoria, Lake Edward was named for a member of the British royal family. In the case of this lake, the explorer Henry Morton Stanley named it in 1888 for Prince Albert Edward of Wales. This lake was named a full 22 years after European explorers discovered the more northern Lake Albert. Like many of the lakes, mountains, and place names in this area, the lake has been renamed by many different leaders and is known locally by different names. For instance, the lake was renamed Lake Idi Amin after the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin but it later changed back to Lake Edward.

While the Lake could be considered a source for the Nile, the true source lies farther south still and flow into Lake Victoria. Even though lakes can be seen farther south in the MODIS image below, only Lake Victoria is connected to the Nile river system. The water from Lake Victoria meets the water from Lake Edward north of Lake Albert. The water from Lake Edward leaves to travel north by the Semliki River which in turn feeds the larger Lake Albert.

MODIS image of the lakes of the Great Rift Valley and Lake Victoria. Red squares show fires.