The Nile and the High Aswan Dam in Egypt

The boats are called feluccas. They were used by the Nubian people to support their traditional way of life, today they are mostly for the tourists. Many Nubians were displaced when the High Aswan Dam was built.

A typical scene in Aswan.

This is the downstream side of the Aswan dam. Note the parabolic shape (a strong shape for structures).Security is tight at the dam. You can see a camera high up on the far pole. The dam is vital to Egyptian life and economy.

Direction of river flow

This large quarry provided some of the material needed to build the dam. What type of mining technique was used?

This is Lake Nasser, the new artificial lake that resulted when the dam was built. Nubian people have relied on the Nile for thousands of years. Controlling its flow and permanently flooding its banks upstream has altered their way of life. The government moved thousands of Nubians from their homes when the lake was flooded.

The southern end of the lake at Abu Simbel, not far from Sudan.

The northern end of the lake at the high dam.

The incredible temples of Abu Simbel built by Ramses II were flooded after the high dam was built. The international community was very disturbed that these amazing ancient monuments had been left to decay. The U.N. stepped in. Largely funded by the U.S., these temples were moved stone by stone to their present day location about 200 m from Lake Nasser. It was an incredible engineering feat!

This is the view of the Nile looking downstream. It is a large river! You can just see the edge of the mining pit that you saw a few slides ago.

The dam is a main source of hydroelectric energy.

Large cruise boats move

tourists up and down the Nile.

Cool bridge!

It doesn’t matter how “developing” the country is – Coke makes a market –

globalization issues anyone?