Lake Volta
Broad water ringed by green hills.
Matti Blume — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Knowledge and philosophy — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ernest Ankomah Frimpong — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ernest Ankomah Frimpong — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Celestinesucess — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Akosombo Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana, behind which lies Lake Volta, the world's largest artificial reservoir by surface area. Covering 8,502 square kilometres, or 3.6% of Ghana's land, it draws visitors to Akosombo for green hills and water that seems to have no end. The dam was built mainly to provide electricity for the aluminium industry and was described as the largest single investment in Ghana's economic development plans. Its original output of 912 megawatts was raised to 1,020 in 2006, and it also supplies part of the power for Togo and Benin. Its building flooded wide areas, displaced many people and affected the surrounding environment. The lake runs 520 km north to the town of Yapei. You see broad calm water ringed by low wooded hills, pink rocks along the shore and jetties where boat trips begin. The sky changes quickly over the lake, with huge clouds in the rainy season and coloured water at sunset. The area is also known for the arched Adomi Bridge over the Volta nearby. Akosombo lies about 82 km from Accra in a straight line. Visits to the dam facilities usually need advance arrangement, so do not photograph them without permission. Boat trips run through local hotels, so wear a life jacket. Do not swim in water you do not know, and ask locals about freshwater health risks.
Broad water ringed by green hills.
A rocky shore at the water's edge.
A sky that changes quickly over the water.
Akosombo, Eastern Region, Ghana
Visiting the facilities usually needs advance arrangement, so do not photograph them without permission.
Yes by surface area. By volume it ranks third in the world.