| Lake Nasser | |
|---|---|
| View from Abu Simbel | |
| Map showing the location of the lake | |
| Lake type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Nile |
| Primary outflows | Nile |
| Basin countries | Egypt, Sudan |
| Max. length | 550 km (340 mi) |
| Max. width | 35 km (22 mi) |
| Surface area | 5,250 km2 (2,030 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 25.2 m (83 ft) |
| Max. depth | 180 m (590 ft) |
| Water volume | 132 km3 (51,000 sq mi)[1] |
| Shore length1 | 7,844 km (25,735,000 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 183 m (600 ft) |
| References | [1] |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Nasser (Arabic: بحيرة ناصر Buhayrat Nasir, Egyptian Arabic: [boˈħeːret nɑːsˤeɾ]) 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 (Arabic: بحيرة نوبية; 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.
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The lake is some 550 km long and 35 km across at its widest point, which is near the Tropic of Cancer. It covers a total surface area of 5,250 km² and has a storage capacity of some 157 km³ of water.
Sportfishing among tourists, especially for Nile Perch, has become increasingly popular, both on the shore and from boats.