Lake Kariba
Encyclopedia
Lake Kariba is the world's largest artificial lake
and reservoir. It lies 1300 kilometers 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.
The Zimbabwean town of Kariba
was built for construction workers on the lake's dam
, while some other settlements such as Mlibizi
in Zimbabwe and Siavonga
and Sinazongwe
in Zambia have grown up to house people displaced by the rising waters.
. The enormous mass of water (approximately 180,000,000,000,000 kilograms, or 180 petagrams [200 billion tons]) is believed to have caused induced seismicity
in the seismically active region, including over 20 earthquake
s of greater than 5 magnitude on the Richter scale
.
The lake is home to several island
s, including Maaze Island, Mashape Island, Chete Island, Sekula, Sampa Karuma, Fothergill
, Spurwing, Snake Island, Antelope Island
, Bed Island Chikanka.
Before Lake Kariba was filled, the existing vegetation was burned, creating a thick layer of fertile soil on land that would become the lake bed. As a result the ecology
of Lake Kariba is vibrant. A number of fish
species have been introduced to the lake, notably the sardine
-like kapenta
(transported from Lake Tanganyika
), which now supports a thriving commercial fishery
. Other inhabitants of Lake Kariba include Nile crocodile
s and hippopotamus
.
Gamefish, particularly Tigerfish
, which was among the indigenous species of the Zambezi river system, now thrive on the kapenta, which in turn encourages tourism
. Both Zambia and Zimbabwe are now attempting to develop the tourism industry along their respective coasts of Lake Kariba.
Fish eagles
, cormorant
s and other water birds patrol the shorelines, as do occasional herds of elephant
s.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
and reservoir. It lies 1300 kilometers upstream from the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, along the border between Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. Lake Kariba was filled between 1958 and 1963 following the completion of the Kariba Dam
Kariba Dam
The Kariba Dam is a hydroelectric dam in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is one of the largest dams in the world, standing tall and long.- Construction :...
at its northeastern end, flooding the Kariba Gorge
Kariba Gorge
Kariba Gorge is a large, natural gorge through which flowed the Zambezi River on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Africa. In 1959 the large double arch concrete Kariba Dam was completed, completely filling the gorge and creating one of the largest man-made lakes in the world...
on the Zambezi River.
The Zimbabwean town of Kariba
Kariba, Zimbabwe
Kariba is a town in Mashonaland West province, Zimbabwe, located close to the Kariba Dam at the northwestern end of Lake Kariba, near the Zambian border. According to the 1992 Population Census, the town had a population of 20,736....
was built for construction workers on the lake's dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, while some other settlements such as Mlibizi
Mlibizi
Mlibizi is a village on the southern shore of Lake Kariba. Mlibizi is situated in Matabeleland North province in Zimbabwe. Mlibizi is a popular fishing resort and is the terminal of the Kariba Ferries car and passenger ferry. Kariba Ferries is a company that operates car and passenger ferries from...
in Zimbabwe and Siavonga
Siavonga
Siavonga is a town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying on the north shore of Lake Kariba. It is Zambia's principal tourism centre for the lake, with accommodation, boating and fishing tours on offer....
and Sinazongwe
Sinazongwe
Sinazongwe is a town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying on the north shore of Lake Kariba. It was constructed in the 1950s as a local administrative centre, while its main industry now is kapenta fishing. It is also home to a lighthouse and an airstrip, while ferries sail to Chete...
in Zambia have grown up to house people displaced by the rising waters.
Physical characteristics
Lake Kariba is over 220 kilometers (140 mi) long and up to 40 kilometers (20 mi) in width. It covers an area of 5,580 square kilometers (2,150 sq mi) and its storage capacity is an immense 185 cubic kilometers (44.4 cu mi). The mean depth of the lake is 29 meters (95 ft); the maximum depth is 97 meters (320 ft). It is the world's largest human-made reservoir, four times as large as the Three Gorges DamThree Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China...
. The enormous mass of water (approximately 180,000,000,000,000 kilograms, or 180 petagrams [200 billion tons]) is believed to have caused induced seismicity
Induced seismicity
Induced seismicity refers to typically minor earthquakes and tremors that are caused by human activity that alters the stresses and strains on the Earth's crust. Most induced seismicity is of an extremely low magnitude...
in the seismically active region, including over 20 earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s of greater than 5 magnitude on the Richter scale
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
.
The lake is home to several island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s, including Maaze Island, Mashape Island, Chete Island, Sekula, Sampa Karuma, Fothergill
Fothergill
Fothergill may refer to:*Fothergill, Cumbria, a place in England*Fothergill , people with the surname Fothergill-See also:*Fothergill gold medal, awarded triennually by the Medical Society of London....
, Spurwing, Snake Island, Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island, with an area of , is the largest island of 10 islands located within the Great Salt Lake, Utah, United States. The island lies in the southeastern portion of the lake, near Salt Lake City and Davis County, and becomes a peninsula when the lake is at extremely low levels. Antelope...
, Bed Island Chikanka.
Ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
of Lake Kariba is vibrant. A number of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
species have been introduced to the lake, notably the sardine
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
-like kapenta
Kapenta
The Tanganyika sardine, known as Kapenta in Zambia and Zimbabwe or Dagaa or Ndgaa elsewhere, is really two species both of which are small, planktivorous, pelagic, freshwater clupeid originating from Lake Tanganyika in East Africa...
(transported from Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
), which now supports a thriving commercial fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
. Other inhabitants of Lake Kariba include Nile crocodile
Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile or Common crocodile is an African crocodile which is common in Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Gabon, South Africa, Malawi, Sudan, Botswana, and Cameroon...
s and hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
.
Gamefish, particularly Tigerfish
Tigerfish
Tigerfish is the common name for a variety of species from several different families of fish, usually on account of their colouration or otherwise fearsome appearance and teeth.- Alestiidae :...
, which was among the indigenous species of the Zambezi river system, now thrive on the kapenta, which in turn encourages tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. Both Zambia and Zimbabwe are now attempting to develop the tourism industry along their respective coasts of Lake Kariba.
Fish eagles
African Fish Eagle
The African Fish Eagle or – to distinguish it from the true fish eagles , the African Sea Eagle – is a large species of eagle that is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. As a result of its large range, it is known in many...
, cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s and other water birds patrol the shorelines, as do occasional herds of elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s.