Lake Kariba
Lake Kariba | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 16°55′S 28°00′E / 16.917°S 28.000°E |
Lake type | Hydroelectric reservoir |
Catchment area | 663,000 km2 (256,000 sq mi) |
Basin countries | Zambia, Zimbabwe |
Max. length | 223 km (139 mi) |
Max. width | 40 km (25 mi) |
Surface area | 5,580 km2 (2,150 sq mi) |
Average depth | 29 m (95 ft) |
Max. depth | 97 m (318 ft) |
Water volume | 180 cubic kilometres (43 cu mi) |
Surface elevation | 479 metres (1,572 ft) |
Islands | Chete Island Sekula Chikanka. |
Lake Kariba is the world's largest
The Zimbabwean town of Kariba was built for construction workers on the lake's dam, while some other settlements such as Binga village and Mlibizi in Zimbabwe and Siavonga and Sinazongwe in Zambia have grown up to house people displaced by the rising waters.
Physical characteristics
Lake Kariba is over 223 kilometres (139 miles) long and up to 40 kilometres (25 miles) in width. It covers an area of 5,580 square kilometres (2,150 square miles) and its storage capacity is 185 cubic kilometres (44 cubic miles). The mean depth of the lake is 29 metres (95 feet); the maximum depth is 97 metres (318 feet). It is the world's
The lake has several islands, including Maaze Island, Mashape Island, Chete Island, Sekula, Sampa Karuma, Fothergill, Spurwing, Snake Island, Antelope Island, Bed Island, and Chikanka.
Ecology
During the filling-up phase of the lake, the water was high in nutrients coming from decomposing, inundated vegetation, creating a thick layer of fertile soil on land that became the lake bed. As a result, the
Fish eagles, cormorants and other water birds patrol the shorelines, as do large numbers of elephants and other big game species including lion, cheetah, leopard, buffalo and a myriad of smaller plains game species. The southern Matusadona National Park was once a haven for black and white rhinoceros, but recent poaching activity has dramatically reduced their numbers.
Protected areas
The portion of Lake Kariba which falls within Zimbabwe has been designated a
See also
- Nyaminyami
- Kariba Town
- Kariba Ferries
- Lake Volta, the largest reservoir by surface area in the world
Notes
- ^ (approximately 180,000,000,000,000 kilograms, or 180 petagrams [180 billion tons])
References
External links
- "Lake Kariba". Zambiatourism.com. Retrieved August 11, 2005.
- "Dam Statistics: Africa and the Middle East Regions". World Commission on Dams. Retrieved August 11, 2005.
- "Lake Profile: Kariba". LakeNet. Retrieved August 11, 2005.
- World Lakes Database entry for Lake Kariba
- Media related to Lake Kariba at Wikimedia Commons