Karakum Desert

The Karakum ( Kara - Kum, Russian Каракумы; Turkmen Garagum; Uzbek Qoraqum; literally " Black Sand " ) is a desert in Central Asia. Along with the neighboring desert Kyzyl Kum ( " Red Sand" ) and Aralkum it occupies most of the interior lowlands of Turan.

The Karakum is located west of the river Amu Darya and almost completely belongs to the territory of Turkmenistan, just on the northern outskirts of Uzbekistan also has a share. The Karakum occupies about 90 % of the area of Turkmenistan and has a size of over 400,000 square kilometers. The extremely water- poor region is traversed to the south by about 1445 km long Karakum Canal, perhaps the most elaborate irrigation project to date. With the construction of the canal began in 1950.

History

The Karakum was once home to a prehistoric civilization that is only known as an oasis culture. This distinct culture emerged simultaneously with the known civilizations along the Nile, Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, in the 4th millennium BC Around 1700 BC, the culture disappeared so far unresolved manner after probably started a rural exodus towards Mesopotamia.

Long after the oasis culture had disappeared, the Silk Road ran through the Karakum. The oasis city of Merv was important stop this trade route of antiquity and the Middle Ages.

In 2000, the Turkmen government began in the valley near the town Karashor Yaila with the investment of a lake in the desert. The first water flowed after the completion of the first Baubschnitts on July 15, 2009 in the facility, which was taken in the presence of Prime Minister Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in operation. The inflow channels to reach a length of over 2,500 kilometers, the lake is 100 km long and 19 km wide. The surface area of 1900 square kilometers, equivalent to almost three-quarters of the Saarland. To 10 billion cubic meters of mineralized leachate flow into the reservoir per year, which will have a total capacity of 132 billion cubic meters. The project is 2020Vorlage in: / to be completed in 5 years future.

Physical Geography

The lowlands of Turan extends between the flat ridge of the Kazakh threshold with the Aral Sea in the north, the strongly broken down the high mountains of Pamir and Hindu Kush in the east, the excessively high seismically active fold-mountain line of the Kopet - Dagh in the south and the Caspian Sea to the west.

Due to its inland location, the Karakum is extremely dry. Therefore, here, depending on the design of the underground hard Lehmwüste, dry Kalktafeln or surrounded by coarse debris coats scattered residual mountains. However, the greatest part of the area occupies a sandy desert, but which is not black, even if the name " Black Sand " suggests this. It consists of the material that comes from the valley of the Amu Darya and decomposing sandstone. There are going to find undulating sand dunes high ceiling instead. Here, there is usually in the wind erosion.

Climate

This region is characterized by a continental climate. In summer the temperatures range on average between 27 ° C and 32 ° C. At high noon temperatures and a cloudless sky, the sand is heated to 70 ° C. Afternoon occur as a result of heat frequently to storms. Winters are usually cold ( the temperature in January is on average between -6 ° C and 5 ° C) and are determined by the duration of the frost and low snow cover, which usually remains are only a few weeks.

Most of the precipitation falls in the spring and early summer, with the average annual rainfall between 100 mm and 150 mm.

Fauna and Flora

For climatic reasons can be found in the Karakum possibly steppe vegetation with different species of grass, because the high summer temperatures and the cold winter also allow for the spring rains no permanent higher vegetation.

Here caracal, sand cat, cobra, Gecko and up to 1.5 m long Wüstenwaran are native.

Mineral resources

In the Karakum there are significant oil and gas deposits.

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