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Kariba Dam[kArE´bA] Pronunciation Key, hydroelectric project, in Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi River, on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, S central Africa; built 1955–59. One of the world's largest dams, it is 420 ft (128 m) high and 1,900 ft (579 m) long. The Kariba project's generators supply electricity to the Copperbelt in Zambia and to parts of Zimbabwe. Kariba Lake, the vast reservoir created by the dam, extends c.175 mi (280 km) and has a maximum width of 20 mi (32 km). The creation of the lake forced resettlement of about 50,000 people living along the Zambezi. In 1960–61, Operation Noah captured and removed the animals threatened by the lake's rising waters.
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