Aswan High Dam

The Aswan Dam, or, more specifically, the Aswan High Dam since the 1960s, is one of the world's largest embankment dams, built across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt, between 1960 and 1970. Its significance far outweighed that of the previous Aswan Low Dam, which was completed downstream in 1902. Following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, construction of the High Dam became a key objective of the government; with its ability to better control flooding, provide increased water storage for irrigation, and generate hydroelectricity, the dam was seen as pivotal to Egypt's planned industrialization. The High Dam, like its predecessor, has had a significant impact on Egypt's economy and culture.