Lake Volta
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| Lake Volta | |
|---|---|
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| Coordinates | |
| Lake type | Reservoir |
| Primary sources | White Volta River Black Volta River |
| Primary outflows | Volta River |
| Catchment area | 385,180 km² |
| Basin countries | Ghana |
| Surface area | 8,502 km² |
| Average depth | 18.8 m |
| Max depth | 75 m |
| Water volume | 148 km³ |
| Shore length1 | 4,800 km |
| Surface elevation | 85 m |
| 1 Shore length is an imprecise measure which may not be standardized for this article. | |
Lake Volta (located at ) is the largest reservoir in the world (being larger than Lake Nasser), lying in Ghana and covering almost 8,502 km² (3,275 square miles). Its northernmost point is at the town of Yapei, and southernmost at the Akosombo Dam, 520 kilometers downstream.
The dam holds back the White Volta River and the Black Volta River. These two rivers formerly converged to form the Volta River; this river now flows from the dam to the Atlantic Ocean.
The lake was formed in 1965 when the Akosombo Dam was built. Due to the formation of Lake Volta, 78,000 people were relocated to new townships, along with two hundred thousand animals belonging to them; 120 buildings were destroyed.
The dam produces electricity for much of the nation. It is also important for transportation, plied by both ferries and by cargo boats.
The Digya National Park lies on part of the lake's west shore.
On April 9, 2006 a passenger boat sank in the lake drowning around 120 people.
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