Cahora Bassa

Cahora Bassa is a very big lake.

It sits in Mozambique on the Zambezi River. This lake is man-made. It was built to make power. This power goes to nearby lands. People catch fish in the water. There are even sharks in the lake! They are bull sharks. These sharks can live in fresh water. The lake is a very special place.

Cahora Bassa is a very large man-made lake. It sits in the Tete Province of Mozambique. The lake is part of the Zambezi River.

It is the fourth largest artificial lake in Africa. Only three other lakes in Africa are bigger.

People built the dam to make electricity. This power is sent to nearby South Africa. Building the dam was a long and hard task. During a war for independence, some people attacked the site. This was done to stop the project. Later, a civil war damaged many power towers. Workers had to fix thousands of them.

The lake is a busy place for nature. Many people catch kapenta fish there. In 2003, the catch was over 10,000 tonnes. Some people believe bull sharks live in the lake. These sharks usually live in the ocean. However, they can live in fresh water too.

Nature can also be dangerous here. In 1978, a big flood caused much damage. Many people had to leave their homes. Since 2005, the area has helped protect lions. It is now a Lion Conservation Unit.

Cahora Bassa is a huge man-made lake in Mozambique. It sits in the Tete Province on the Zambezi River. This lake is the fourth largest artificial lake in all of Africa.

Only three other African lakes are larger in surface water. These are Lake Volta in Ghana, Lake Kariba, and Lake Nasser in Egypt. The lake was created by building a very large dam. This dam helps make electricity for many people nearby.

The main goal of the dam is to create power. This is called hydroelectric power. Most of the electricity is sold to the country of South Africa. To move this power, workers use long transmission lines. These lines carry high-voltage electricity over very long distances. In 1994, most of the power in Mozambique came from water. The Cahora Bassa system is a key part of this. It helps keep the lights on in many homes and cities.

Building the dam was a very long and difficult process. It started in the late 1960s during the Portuguese colonial era. At that time, the area was part of an overseas province. During the struggle for independence, the project faced many problems. Groups called Frelimo guerrillas attacked construction materials to stop the work. The dam finally began to fill with water in December 1974. Mozambique officially became an independent nation in June 1975.

The history of the dam includes many changes in ownership. For a long time, Portugal owned most of the company. In November 2007, Mozambique took control of the dam. Portugal sold its large stake for about US$950 million. The dam has also survived many hard times. During a civil war, many power towers were damaged. Workers had to replace or fix thousands of these towers. They even had to clear landmines before they could finish the repairs.

Today, the lake is a very busy place for nature and people. Many people fish in the water for a fish called kapenta. In 2003, people caught more than 10,000 tonnes of these fish. Some people also believe that bull sharks live in the lake. These sharks usually live in the ocean, but they can live in fresh water. The area is also important for animals. Since 2005, it has been known as a Lion Conservation Unit to help protect lions.

Cahora Bassa is a massive artificial lake located in Mozambique. It sits within the Tete Province on the Zambezi River. This lake is the fourth-largest man-made lake in Africa by surface water. Only Lake Volta in Ghana, Lake Kariba on the Zambezi, and Lake Nasser in Egypt are larger.

The lake was created by a large dam designed for hydroelectricity. This means the moving water turns turbines to generate electrical power.

The primary purpose of the Cahora Bassa system is power generation. Most of the electricity produced is sold to South Africa. To move this power, engineers use a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system. HVDC is a method of sending electricity over very long distances with less loss. In 1994, hydroelectricity provided 91% of Mozambique's total 2,400 MW of installed capacity. In 2006, the system transmitted about 1,920 megawatts of power. The infrastructure was designed to potentially double this output.

The history of the project began in the late 1960s. At that time, Portugal controlled Mozambique as an overseas province. The project involved complex agreements between Portugal and Southern African governments. South Africa agreed to build the Apollo converter station near Pretoria. This station helped manage the electricity arriving from the Mozambican border. During the struggle for independence, Frelimo guerrillas attacked construction materials. They did this to stop the dam's completion. A larger lake would make the river too wide to cross in canoes.

Ownership of the dam changed significantly over many decades. Until November 2007, the company Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) was mostly Portuguese-owned. Portugal held an 82% stake, while Mozambique held 18%. A long dispute existed between the two nations regarding US$2.2 billion in debt. In 2007, Mozambique assumed control after Portugal sold most of its stake. This sale brought Portugal approximately US$950 million. Prime Minister José Sócrates signed the agreement during a visit to Maputo.

The dam and its power lines have faced many physical challenges. During the Mozambican Civil War, guerrillas sabotaged the transmission lines. Workers had to replace 1,895 towers and refurbish 2,311 others over 893 km. This work was difficult because the terrain was filled with landmines. In 1978, a massive flood caused 45 deaths and displaced 100,000 people. This event proved that the dam could not fully control all natural flooding. Later, in February 2000, heavy rains in the Limpopo River valley collapsed 10 towers.

The lake has also created unique environments for wildlife. Since 2005, the area has been recognized as a Lion Conservation Unit. The water supports a large fishery for a fish called kapenta. It is believed these fish originally came from Lake Tanganyika via Lake Kariba. In 2003, the annual catch of kapenta exceeded 10,000 tonnes. There are also local reports of bull sharks living in the reservoir. Bull sharks are ocean-dwelling species that can live in fresh water for their entire lives.

Cahora Bassa remains a vital part of the region's energy and ecology. It connects the natural power of the Zambezi River to the needs of modern industry. The system links the geography of Mozambique directly to the energy demands of South Africa. While it provides power, it also requires constant management of the river's flow. The dam stands as a major example of how humans reshape the Earth to harness energy.