As the
worlds largest man-made lake, Lake Nasser is
approximately 310 miles in length (1550 square
miles) and, in places, can reach a depth of 600
feet. The lake was created in the 1960s when the
world famous High Dam was built. Together with the
old Aswan Dam (built by the British between 1898
and 1902) it provides irrigation and electricity
for the whole of Egypt.
It is named for Gamal
Abdel Nasser, president of Egypt from 1956-1970.
The southern third of the lake is in Sudan and is
called Lake Nubia. The lake is 312 miles (480
meters) long and covers an area of 2026 square
miles (5,248 km2). It has a maximum depth of 426.5
ft (130 m) but its mean depth is 82.6 ft (25.2 m).
The Egyptian portion is 202 miles (324 km) long
and has a shoreline of 4,875 miles (7,844 km).
|
|
Part of the area Lake Nasser covers today was once
the site of the temples of Abu Simbel, built by
Ramses II around
1200 B.C. The temple was moved but other sites of
historical significance was submerged. Thirty-two
species of fish, as well as Nile River crocodiles,
are found in the lake. 80,000 tons of fish a year
are caught.
The shoreline is a variety of desert landscapes,
hilly and rugged, or flat and sandy with clean
freshwater beaches.
There are an impressive variety of birds, mammals,
and reptiles. More than 100 species of birds have
been recorded: Wild duck, Egyptian geese,
pelicans, herons, egrets and various species of
hawks, kites, falcons and eagles will be among the
birds seen. In most areas there are crocodile and
monitor lizards, other types of wildlife include Dorcas gazelle, jackals, desert fox, and various
smaller desert mammals.
|