The Aswan River is a major river in Egypt, located in the southern part of the country. It is a tributary of the Nile, and is also known as the Nile's Cataract. The Aswan DAM, built in 1902, was the first modern DAM on the river. The Aswan High DAM, built in 1970, was the second DAM on the river and was named after Gamal Abdel Nasser, the former president of Egypt. The Aswan DAMS are two large DAMS that provide hydroelectric power and irrigation to the region.