Lake Kariba

Lake Kariba is the world's largest artificial lake and reservoir by volume. It lies 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) upstream from the Indian Ocean, along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Lake Kariba was filled between 1958 and 1963 following the completion of the Kariba Dam at its northeastern end, flooding the Kariba Gorge on the Zambezi River.

Lake Kariba
Lake Kariba
Coordinates16°55′S 28°00′E
Lake typeHydroelectric reservoir
Catchment area663,000 km2 (256,000 sq mi)
Basin countriesZambia, Zimbabwe
Max. length223 km (139 mi)
Max. width40 km (25 mi)
Surface area5,580 km2 (2,150 sq mi)
Average depth29 m (95 ft)
Max. depth97 m (318 ft)
Water volume180 cubic kilometres (43 cu mi)
Surface elevation479 metres (1,572 ft)
IslandsChete Island
Sekula
Chikanka.

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.

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