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In geography, an 'oasis' (plural: 'oases') 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 so 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'' comes into English via Greek ὄασις ''oasis'', borrowed directly from Egyptian ''wḥ3t'' or Demotic ''wḥỉ''. It was not borrowed from Coptic ''ouaḥe'' (
★ /waħe/), as is sometimes suggested; the Greek word is attested several centuries before Coptic existed as a written language.

Contents

Notable oases

Bibliography

Notable oases

★ Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia, largest oasis in the world.

★ Al-Qatif, Saudi Arabia, large oasis on the coast of the Persian Gulf.

★ Bahariya Oasis, Egypt

★ Ein Gedi, Israel

★ El Tour, Sinai peninsula,

★ Farafra Oasis, Egypt

★ Gaberoun, Libya

★ Ghardaia, Algeria

★ Herðubreiðarlindir, a so-called oasis-like area in the frozen Highlands of Iceland

★ Huacachina, Peru

★ Kufra Oasis, Libya

★ Loulan, China

★ Marin, China

★ Niya, China

★ Ouargla, Algeria

★ Safsaf Oasis, Egypt

★ San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

★ Siwa Oasis, Egypt

★ Tabas, Iran

★ Timimoun, Algeria

★ Tozeur, Tunisia

★ Tuat, Algeria

★ Turfan, China

★ Yarkand, China

Bibliography

★ , Paris, Éditions IRD, coll. À travers champs, 2005, 440 p. ISBN 2-7099-1564-2