The largest freshwater lake in the world is Lake Superior. The second largest is in Africa. What's its name?

The immense body of water referred to in the question is Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake and the second-largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It is surpassed only by Lake Superior in North America. This vast lake, covering approximately 68,800 square kilometers (26,600 square miles), is a shared natural wonder, bordering the East African nations of Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.

Lake Victoria holds significant ecological and economic importance for the region. It serves as a primary source for the White Nile, a major tributary of the famous Nile River, which flows northward through several countries. The lake also supports a rich and diverse ecosystem, historically home to hundreds of fish species, many of which were unique to its waters. However, the introduction of the invasive Nile Perch in the 1950s dramatically altered the lake's biodiversity and fishing industry.

This remarkable lake is not only geographically significant but also steeped in history. It was named in 1858 by the British explorer John Hanning Speke, who was on a quest to find the source of the Nile and dedicated his discovery to Queen Victoria of England. Prior to its European naming, local communities had their own descriptive names for the lake, such as "Nam Lowe," meaning "body of endless water" in Kenya, and "Nnalubaale," or "Home of the Gods," in Uganda. Despite being relatively shallow for its size, Lake Victoria is approximately 400,000 years old, having experienced periods where it completely dried up due to geological and climatic changes.