| Lake Kariba | |
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  Lake Kariba | |
| Coordinates | 16°55′S28°00′E / 16.917°S 28.000°E /-16.917; 28.000 |
| Lake type | Hydroelectricreservoir |
| 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 | 180,000,000,000 cubic metres (43 cu mi) |
| Surface elevation | 479 metres (1,572 ft) |
| Islands | Chete Island Sekula Chikanka |
Lake Kariba is the world's largestartificial lake andreservoir byvolume. It lies 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) upstream from the mouth of theZambezi river on theIndian Ocean, along the border betweenZambia andZimbabwe. Lake Kariba was filled between 1958 and 1963 following the completion of theKariba Dam at its northeastern end, flooding theKariba Gorge on theZambezi River.
The Zimbabwean town ofKariba was built for construction workers on the lake'sdam, while some other settlements such asBinga village andMlibizi in Zimbabwe andSiavonga andSinazongwe in Zambia have expanded to house people displaced by the damming of the river.
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'slargest man-made reservoir by volume, four times as large as theThree Gorges Dam.[1] The enormous mass of water[a] is believed to have causedinduced seismicity in the seismically active region, including over 20earthquakes of greater than 5 magnitude on theRichter scale.[2]
The lake has severalislands, includingMaaze Island, Mashape Island,Chete Island,Sekula,Sampa Karuma,Fothergill,Spurwing, Snake Island, Antelope Island,Bed Island, and Chikanka.
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, theecology of Lake Kariba is vibrant. A number offish species have been introduced to the lake, notably thesardine-likekapenta (transported fromLake Tanganyika), which now supports a thriving commercialfishery. Other inhabitants of Lake Kariba includeNile crocodiles andhippopotamuses.
Gamefish, particularlytigerfish, which was among the indigenous species of the Zambezi river system, now thrive on the kapenta, which in turn encouragestourism. Both Zambia and Zimbabwe are now attempting to develop the tourism industry along their respective coasts of Lake Kariba.
Fish eagles,cormorants and other water birds patrol the shorelines, as do large numbers ofelephants and other big game species including lion, cheetah, leopard, buffalo and a myriad of smaller plains game species. The southernMatusadona National Park was once a haven for black and white rhinoceros, but recent poaching activity has dramatically reduced their numbers.
The portion of Lake Kariba which falls within Zimbabwe has been designated arecreational park within theZimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Estate.
Media related toLake Kariba at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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