Cahora Bassa

Cahora Bassa
A partial view of Cahora Bassa from space.
Map of Mozambique with a marked lake in the Northwest
Map of Mozambique with a marked lake in the Northwest
Cahora Bassa
Location in Mozambique
LocationMozambique
Coordinates15°40′S 31°50′E / 15.667°S 31.833°E / -15.667; 31.833
Lake typeReservoir
Primary inflowsZambezi River
Primary outflowsZambezi River
Catchment area56,927 km2 (21,980 sq mi)
Basin countriesMozambique
Max. length292 km (181 mi)
Max. width38 km (24 mi)
Surface area2,739 km2 (1,058 sq mi)
Average depth20.9 m (69 ft)
Max. depth157 m (515 ft)
Water volume55.8 km3 (45,200,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface elevation314 m (1,030 ft)

The Cahora Bassa lake—in the Portuguese colonial era (until 1974) known as Cabora Bassa, from Nyungwe Kahoura-Bassa, meaning "finish the job"—is Africa's fourth-largest artificial lake, situated in the Tete Province in Mozambique. In Africa, only Lake Volta in Ghana, Lake Kariba on the Zambezi upstream of Cahora Bassa, and Egypt's Lake Nasser are bigger in terms of surface water.