The Libyan desert is in second place in size among all these unique natural attractions of the world. Its area is almost 2 million square meters. km The height of the sand dunes in some places reaches 200-500 m. And their length varies within 650 km. Coordinates of the Libyan desert: 24 ° c. w. and 25 ° c. d.
Since ancient times, the desert has been associated with Ancient Egypt. In the I – II century. n e. This territory belonged to Libya (historical region). In the VII century, this area was conquered by the Middle Eastern countries. And since the climate of these places is very suitable for the Arabs, they not only quickly mastered this territory, but also partially encroached on the regions of the Berber population.
Climatic features
The climate in the desert is subtropical, semi-desert. In January, the temperature is at + 12 ... + 18 ° C. But in July it rises to + 27 ... + 36 ° C. The temperature difference during the day is 15-16 ° C. Precipitation in the desert may not fall for years. Sometimes they do fall out, but in small quantities, about 100 mm per year.
Vegetation is practically absent. Cereals or weak shrubs are very rare. From the animal kingdom in the Libyan desert live some species of snakes and lizards, camels and gazelles.
Where is the Libyan desert?
The desert is located in the north of the African continent, belongs to the territory of Egypt and Libya. From the west, it borders on the massif El-Haruj-al-Aswad, on the south side it is limited by the Tibesti plateau, and on the east side of it lies the Nile Valley.
The north of the desert is represented by a lower relief. There are deep depressions up to 133 m below sea level. The south of the desert consists of rocky or sandy plateaus reaching a height of up to 500 m. The longest dune in the world, about 140 km, is recorded in the Libyan desert.
Population
But despite such a meager flora and fauna, the Libyan desert is inhabited by people. They lead an active lifestyle, engage in economic activities. By ethnic composition, these are mainly Libyans and Tuaregs. All people's lives are concentrated in desert oases. Agriculture is the cultivation of date palms, fruit trees such as peaches and apricots. Cereals are also cultivated here. Livestock is no less developed in oases. People are breeding certain types of goats, camels and sheep.
The desert in its bowels contains very large reserves of oil, there is also iron ore.
Oasis in the Libyan Desert
On the territory of the Libyan desert, there are 6 main oases: Kharga, Dakhla, Bahariya, Farafra, Siva, Fayyum. Siva is located separately, and the remaining five are connected by an asphalt road. Oasis in the desert are small settlements. Houses are mainly built of clay bricks, which perfectly saves in the heat of the day. Such rooms inside remain cool. Oasis residents also build 2-3-story more modern buildings from concrete blocks. Housekeeping is carried out by women, men are engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. Getting to the oases is now easy; you can rent a car or use public transport.
If we consider separately the oases of the Libyan desert, then Baharia and Farafra are desert-type villages. People live here by growing crops. Dakhla and Kharga are modern cities, quite developed. Fayyum - an oasis for the rest of the inhabitants of Cairo. There are a lot of ancient ruins that are of historical value.
Siva Oasis is located in a remote desert area. The local population is the Berbers. They are engaged in the cultivation of olive trees and date palms. More recently, it was almost impossible to get to Siwa due to the lack of communication lines. But today, an excellent asphalt road is laid there. There are palm groves, there are salt lakes.
Naturally, all the main sources of water are located in that part of such a beautiful place as the Libyan desert, where oases are spread. No settlement can exist in such a hot climate without water.
Unique places
In the Libyan desert, in addition to oases, there are very interesting places. The lowest point on the African continent is the Qattara Depression. Also impressive is the vast expanse of sand dunes - the Great Sand Sea.
The Libyan desert is still one of those places on the planet that is very poorly studied. That is why it is of great interest to scientists around the world.