Lake Nasser is the reservoir formed by Egypt’s Aswan High Dam and is one of the world’s largest artificial lakes.
The reservoir lies along the Nile in southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Construction of the Aswan High Dam began in 1960 and was completed in 1970, creating a huge store of water for irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric generation. The dam’s power station has a capacity of about 2.1 gigawatts.
The name can cause confusion because “Lake Nasser” technically refers mainly to the Egyptian portion, which makes up roughly 83% of the reservoir. The Sudanese section is commonly called Lake Nubia. In general quizzes and much English-language reference writing, however, Lake Nasser is the accepted name for the overall reservoir created by the dam.
The project also triggered major cultural and human consequences. Tens of thousands of Nubians were displaced, while an international UNESCO campaign rescued monuments including the temples of Abu Simbel before rising water covered the region. The reservoir supports fishing and tourism but also altered the Nile’s natural sediment flow.