Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Aswan Dam - Egypt







The Aswan Dam is the general name for two dams, both of which are situated across the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt. Since the 1950s, the name commonly refers to the High Dam, which is the larger and newer of the two. The Old Aswan Dam, or Aswan Low Dam, was first completed in 1902 and raised twice, during the British colonial period. Construction of the High Dam was started in 1960, and completed in 1970. Both projects aimed to increase economic production by regulating the annual river flooding and providing storage of water for agriculture, and later, to generate electricity. Both have had immense impacts on the economy and culture of Egypt. The Old Aswan Dam was built at the former first cataract of the Nile, and is located about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) (686 kilometres (426 mi)) up-river and south-southeast of Cairo. The newer Aswan High Dam is located a further 7.3 kilometres (4.5 mi) upriver from the older dam.

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