In the west and northwest, the plateau slopes in the direction of a chain of lakes, in the east, however, it rises to the mountain massif of Mount Elgon at an altitude of over 4300 m above sea level. Extinct volcanoes and mountain ranges also characterize the southwest of the country. On the one hand there are the famous Virunga volcanoes, on the other hand the Ruwenzori mountains with the highest point of the country (5109 m above sea level). Large parts of southern Uganda are taken by Lake Victoria, through which the equator also runs. The lake is not only the largest of its kind on the African continent, but also the third largest inland water body of the earth. From Victoria Lake, the most important river in the country springs from the Victoria Nile. In terms of climatic conditions, Uganda has tropical and partly temperate conditions (due to the altitude): precipitation amounts between 700 and 1500 mm are reached at year-round high temperatures, although this quantity decreases significantly towards the north.