The
White desert, named after its chalk formations, is a 116 square
mile protectorate located in western Egypt with a small desert
fox being its only animal wildlife, however its abundance of
fossils including sea shells serve as a reminder that the barren
desert landscape was once under water. After the ocean dried up the White desert turned into a savannah
and a fertile hunting ground for early man with its lakes and
abundance of wildlife including gazelles, elephants and
giraffes, but, over the millennia these lush green areas became
desertified and eroded by wind and sand producing the desert we
now see.
Today the White desert is uninhabited, just home to eerie
structures protruding from the ground that provide a haunting
landscape when the moon reflects on the formations created
mainly by sandstorms. On
the cusp of the White desert can be found the lonely and
isolated oasis of Farafra with its many hot springs. Farafra is
mainly inhabited by the local Bedouins, however trips to the
white desert are made from there. This video shows the White
Desert in all its glory, and a popular tourist destination for
one of the most incredible landscapes on earth.
Facts, figures and a video about the White Desert, a protectorate in Egypt and home to some stunning formations. There are many other deserts in Africa; to check them out visit our African deserts pages.