Lake Nasser
Encyclopedia
Lake Nasser is a vast reservoir in southern Egypt
, and northern Sudan
, and is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. Strictly, "Lake Nasser" refers only to the much larger portion of the lake that is in Egyptian territory (83% of the total), with the Sudanese preferring to call their smaller body of water Lake Nubia ' onMouseout='HidePop("99364")' href="/topics/Arabic_transliteration">transliterated
: Buhayrat Nubiya). The area of Sudan-administered Wadi Halfa Salient
was largely flooded by Lake Nasser/Lake Nubia.
The lake was created as a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam
across the waters of the Nile
between 1958 and 1971. The lake is named after Gamal Abdel Nasser
, one of the leaders of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and the second President of Egypt
, who initiated the High Dam project.
.
It covers a total surface area of 5,250 km² and has a storage capacity of some 157 km³ of water.
Construction of the High Dam was one of the chief priorities of the revolutionary government in Egypt after the overthrow of the King Farouk
in 1952. Under Egypt's first president, Muhammad Naguib
, planning was initiated for constructing a new dam at Aswan
that would both guarantee Egypt's water security, and assist in the industrialisation
of the country by providing a source of hydro-electric power. Planning was continued under his successor as President, Gamal Abdel Nasser
, under whose tenure the withdrawal of funding from the project by the governments of the United States
, and the United Kingdom
contributed to Egypt's nationalisation of the Suez Canal
, and the subsequent Tripartite Aggression
.
Nasser died in 1970, and upon completion of the Dam during the presidency of Nasser's successor, Anwar El-Sadat, the resulting lake was named in Nasser's honour.
When Lake Nasser was being created as a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam, across the Nile
, between 1958 and 1970, the anticipated rising waters behind the dam required major relocation projects that were carried out during the 1960s. There were 18 ancient temples in the area.
Several important Nubia
n and Ancient Egyptian archaeological sites were dismantled block by block and moved to higher ground, most notably Abu Simbel
. The prior Sudanese river-port and railway terminal of Wadi Halfa
was lost beneath the waters, and a new town was built nearby;
and Egypt's entire Nubia
n community from the upper reaches of the Nile – numbering several hundred thousand people – saw their villages disappear and were forced to relocate.
Rising lake levels through the 1990s resulted in what the Egyptians term the spilling over of waters, others claim deliberate leakage, westwards into the Sahara Desert, forming the Toshka Lakes
beginning in 1998.
Ferries
take passengers and road vehicles between Aswan
in Egypt and Wadi Halfa, from where the railway goes to Khartoum
, capital of Sudan. Since it is prohibited to cross the Sudan-Egypt border on land, and no paved roads connect the two countries, the ferries are the only alternative to air travel; currently, they constitute a link in the Cairo-Cape Town Highway
.
, has become increasingly popular, both on the shore and from boats.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and northern Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, and is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. Strictly, "Lake Nasser" refers only to the much larger portion of the lake that is in Egyptian territory (83% of the total), with the Sudanese preferring to call their smaller body of water Lake Nubia ' onMouseout='HidePop("99364")' href="/topics/Arabic_transliteration">transliterated
Arabic transliteration
Different approaches and methods for the romanization of Arabic exist. They vary in the way that they address the inherent problems of rendering written and spoken Arabic in the Latin alphabet; they also use different symbols for Arabic phonemes that do not exist in English or other European...
: Buhayrat Nubiya). The area of Sudan-administered Wadi Halfa Salient
Wadi Halfa Salient
Wadi Halfa Salient is the unofficial name of a salient of the international border between Sudan and Egypt along the Nile River to the north....
was largely flooded by Lake Nasser/Lake Nubia.
The lake was created as a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam
Aswan Dam
The Aswan Dam is an embankment dam situated across the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt. Since the 1950s, the name commonly refers to the High Dam, which is larger and newer than the Aswan Low Dam, which was first completed in 1902...
across the waters of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
between 1958 and 1971. The lake is named after Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
, one of the leaders of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and the second President of Egypt
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
, who initiated the High Dam project.
Description
The lake is some 550 km long and 35 km across at its widest point, which is near the Tropic of CancerTropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith...
.
It covers a total surface area of 5,250 km² and has a storage capacity of some 157 km³ of water.
History
Farouk of Egypt
Farouk I of Egypt , was the tenth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936....
in 1952. Under Egypt's first president, Muhammad Naguib
Muhammad Naguib
Muhammad Naguib was the first President of Egypt, serving from the declaration of the Republic on June 18, 1953 to November 14, 1954. Along with Gamal Abdel Nasser, he was the primary leader of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which ended the rule of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty in Egypt and Sudan...
, planning was initiated for constructing a new dam at Aswan
Aswan
Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre...
that would both guarantee Egypt's water security, and assist in the industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
of the country by providing a source of hydro-electric power. Planning was continued under his successor as President, Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
, under whose tenure the withdrawal of funding from the project by the governments of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
contributed to Egypt's nationalisation of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, and the subsequent Tripartite Aggression
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
.
Nasser died in 1970, and upon completion of the Dam during the presidency of Nasser's successor, Anwar El-Sadat, the resulting lake was named in Nasser's honour.
When Lake Nasser was being created as a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam, across the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
, between 1958 and 1970, the anticipated rising waters behind the dam required major relocation projects that were carried out during the 1960s. There were 18 ancient temples in the area.
Nubia
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
n and Ancient Egyptian archaeological sites were dismantled block by block and moved to higher ground, most notably Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel temples refers to two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel in Nubia, southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 230 km southwest of Aswan...
. The prior Sudanese river-port and railway terminal of Wadi Halfa
Wadi Halfa
Wadi Halfa is a city in the state of Northern, in northern Sudan, on the shores of Lake Nubia . It is the terminus of a rail line from Khartoum and the point where goods are transferred from rail to ferries going down the Lake Nasser...
was lost beneath the waters, and a new town was built nearby;
and Egypt's entire Nubia
Nubia
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
n community from the upper reaches of the Nile – numbering several hundred thousand people – saw their villages disappear and were forced to relocate.
Rising lake levels through the 1990s resulted in what the Egyptians term the spilling over of waters, others claim deliberate leakage, westwards into the Sahara Desert, forming the Toshka Lakes
Toshka Lakes
Toshka Lakes is the name given to recently formed endorheic lakes in the Sahara Desert of Egypt.-History:The Aswan High Dam, constructed in Egypt in 1964-1968, created Lake Nasser, with a maximum water level of above sea level...
beginning in 1998.
Ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
take passengers and road vehicles between Aswan
Aswan
Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre...
in Egypt and Wadi Halfa, from where the railway goes to Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, capital of Sudan. Since it is prohibited to cross the Sudan-Egypt border on land, and no paved roads connect the two countries, the ferries are the only alternative to air travel; currently, they constitute a link in the Cairo-Cape Town Highway
Cairo-Cape Town Highway
The Cairo-Cape Town Highway is Trans-African Highway 4 in the transcontinental road network being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa , the African Development Bank , and the African Union...
.
Sportfishing in the lake
Sportfishing among tourists, especially for Nile PerchNile perch
The Nile perch is a species of freshwaterfish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. It is widespread throughout muchof the Afrotropic ecozone, being native to the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger, and Lake Chad, Volta, Lake Turkana and other river basins. It also occurs in the brackish waters of...
, has become increasingly popular, both on the shore and from boats.
External links
- http://lexicorient.com/e.o/lake_nasser.htm Lake Nasser data
- Lake Nasser Fishing
- NASA Newsroom
- Encyclopedia Britannica
- http://www.alovelyworld.com/webegypt/htmgb/nasser.htm
- http://www.alovelyworld.com/webegypt/htmgb/egy74.htm
- http://www.horus.demon.co.uk/Nile/Nasser.html
- http://www.360cities.net/area/lake-nasser