Which lake was created by the Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River?

Lake Kariba was created by the Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River.

The dam was built in Kariba Gorge along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Construction began in 1955, and the reservoir filled between 1958 and 1963 as rising water flooded the gorge. Today, Lake Kariba stretches roughly 280 kilometres and is one of the world’s largest artificial reservoirs by volume.

The project generates hydroelectric power for both countries, but it also displaced communities and transformed the Zambezi Valley. Wildlife rescue efforts known as Operation Noah relocated thousands of animals threatened by the rising waters. The dam’s effects also extend downstream because it regulates much of the Zambezi’s flow.

Lake Nasser, Lake Volta and Lake Cahora Bassa are also major artificial lakes, but they were created by different dams on different rivers. Lake Nasser is on the Nile, Lake Volta on the Volta River, and Cahora Bassa on the lower Zambezi in Mozambique.