Libyan Desert - Libyan Desert

The name of the eastern part of the Sahara Desert in North Africa. It extends from the eastern half of Libya to the west bank of the Nile River in the east and northwestern Sudan in the south. The northern limit is an oasis area that runs east to west along the 30th parallel north, and at its eastern end is the Qatara Depression, which reaches 133 meters below sea level. The annual rainfall does not reach 100 mm, and the Kufra Basin in southeastern Libya is an extremely dry area with an average annual rainfall of only a few mm. The south winds that begin to blow after the vernal equinox are called Ghibli, Hamsin, and Sirocco, and when they blow, the area is hot and dry, with even the lowest temperatures exceeding 30°C. There are few wadis (dried valleys), and the topography caused by wind erosion is noticeable. There are also rocky deserts (hamada) and gravel deserts (called Serir in Libya), but near the border between Libya and Egypt, there is a vast sandy desert (erg) with a series of sand dunes. Salt-containing desert soil is widespread, and vegetation is extremely scarce. The groundwater level is relatively shallow, and the artesian basins of Siwa, Farafra, and Dakhara form oases. The dates produced in the Kufra Oasis are of high quality and are exported to Europe. In Libya, numerous oil fields have been developed in the desert, including Zerten and Amal, and low-sulfur oil is transported by pipeline to the Gulf of Sirte.

[Kazuo Nakamura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

北アフリカ、サハラ砂漠東部の呼称。リビア東半部から東はナイル川西岸まで、南はスーダン北西部に及ぶ。北限はほぼ北緯30度線に沿って東西に並ぶオアシス地帯で、その東端には海面下133メートルに達するカッターラ低地がある。年降水量は100ミリにも達せず、なかでもリビア南東部にあるクフラ盆地は、平均年降水量がわずか数ミリという極端な少雨地域である。春分を過ぎたころから吹き始める南風はギブリ、ハムシン、シロッコなどの名があり、これが吹くときには最低気温でさえも30℃を超えるほど暑く乾燥する。ワジ（涸(か)れ谷）さえも少なく、風の侵食による地形が目だつ。岩石砂漠（ハマダ）や礫(れき)砂漠（リビアではセリル）もあるが、リビアとエジプトの国境付近には砂丘が連なる広大な砂砂漠（エルグ）が広がる。塩分を含む砂漠土壌が分布し、植生はきわめて乏しい。地下水位は比較的浅く、シワ、ファラフラ、ダハラなどの鑽井(さんせい)盆地はオアシスとなっている。クフラ・オアシスで産するナツメヤシは良質で、ヨーロッパへ輸出される。リビアでは、砂漠の中にゼルテン、アマルをはじめ多数の油田が開発され、硫黄(いおう)分の少ない石油がパイプラインでシルテ湾岸まで送られている。

［中村和郎］

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