All Cities - Lake Nasser
 


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.
 

 

 

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