One of the Largest Reservoirs in the World

Aswān High Dam, dam across the Nile River in southern Egypt, located near the city of Aswān. The dam impounds Lake Nasser, one of the largest reservoirs in the world. The High Dam has an embankment 111 m (365 ft) high that extends 3,600 m (11,800 ft) across the river. Named in honor of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, Lake Nasser covers an area more than 480 km (300 mi) long and 16 km (10 mi) wide. The water is used to irrigate farmland and has enabled Egypt to double its agricultural production since the dam was completed. During the rainy season the dam also controls the yearly flooding of the Nile.