Consider the following physical geography features: Statement I: The Great Rift Valley in East Africa is a complex system of rift grabens formed by extensional tectonic forces. Statement II: Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake by area, occupies a deep fault trough within the main western branch of the East African Rift. Which of the following is correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statement I is correct because the East African Rift system represents a classic active continental rift zone formed by lithospheric extension. Statement II is incorrect because Lake Victoria occupies a shallow depression situated on a broad plateau between the eastern and western rift branches, rather than a deep fault graben like Lake Tanganyika or Lake Malawi. This unique hydrological setting makes Lake Victoria the primary headwater reservoir for the White Nile River.