Aswan High Dam Overview

The Aswan High Dam controls the mighty flow of the Nile River.

The dam is an embankment dam in southern Egypt on the Nile.

Construction started in 1960 and the dam was completed in 1970.

The Soviet Union provided loans, technicians, and heavy machinery.

The dam measures 3,830 metres long and rises 111 metres tall.

The base is 980 metres wide, narrowing to 40 metres.

The dam holds back Lake Nasser, 500 kilometres long and vast.

Lake Nasser covers 5,250 square kilometres with 132 cubic kilometres water.

The dam releases 55 cubic kilometres of water yearly for irrigation.

Irrigation from the dam supports two crops per year on farms.

Egyptians and Soviets built the dam with 25,000 engineers and workers.

The dam generates hydroelectricity supporting Egypt’s industrial growth.

The reservoir, called Lake Nasser, reached full capacity in 1976.

The Aswan High Dam reshaped Egypt’s economy and culture profoundly.