Oasis

Encyclopedia : O : OA : OAS : Oasis

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For other uses of this word, see Oasis (disambiguation). For the popular English rock band see Oasis (band).

In geography, an oasis is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source.

The location of oases has been of critical importance for trade and transportation routes in desert areas. Caravans must travel via oases in order that supplies of water and food can be replenished. Thus, political or military control of an oasis has in many cases meant control of trade on a particular route. For example, the oases of Awjila, Ghadames and Kufra, situated in modern-day Libya, have at various times been vital to both North-South and East-West trade in the Sahara desert.

The word oasis came via Greek ὄασις oasis from Ancient Egyptian wḥ3t (spelt in Demotic as wḥỉ and in Coptic as ouaḥe (*/waħe/)).

Gallery of oases

Image:Bahariya.jpg|Bahariya Oasis, Egypt Image:En Gedi Waterfall.jpg|Ein Gedi, Israel Image:Gaberoun-lake.JPG|Gaberoun, Libya Image:Ksar.JPG|Timimoun, Algeria Image:Tozeur 1.jpg|Tozeur, Tunisia Image:Oase Siwa.jpg|Siwa Oasis, Egypt Image:Turpan-calles-d01.jpg|Turfan, China Image:Approach to Yarkand, 1868.jpg|Yarkand, China

Examples

• Farafra Oasis, Egypt
• Gaberoun Oasis, Libya
• Kufra Oasis, Libya
• Safsaf Oasis, Egypt
• Siwa Oasis, Egypt
• Tabas, Iran
• Turfan, Xinjiang, China
• El Tour, Sinai, Egypt
• Huacachina, Peru
• Al Hasa, Saudi Arabia
• Qatif, Saudi Arabia
• San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

 

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