Libyan Desert

A desert of northeast Africa in Egypt, Libya, and Sudan. It is the northeast section of the Sahara Desert.

Libyan Desert

n (Placename) a desert in N Africa, in E Libya, W Egypt, and the NW Sudan: the NE part of the Sahara

Lib′yan Des′ert

n. a desert in N Africa, in Libya, Egypt, and Sudan, W of the Nile: part of the Sahara. ab. 650,000 sq. mi. (1,683,500 sq. km).

Thesaurus

Noun

Libyan Desert - the northeastern part of the Sahara Desert in Libya and Egypt and SudanArab Republic of Egypt, Egypt, United Arab Republic - a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BCLibya, Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya - a military dictatorship in northern Africa on the Mediterranean; consists almost entirely of desert; a major exporter of petroleumRepublic of the Sudan, Soudan, Sudan - a republic in northeastern Africa on the Red Sea; achieved independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom in 1956Sahara, Sahara Desert - the world's largest desert (3,500,000 square miles) in northern Africa

Libyan Desert

Libyan Desert,

northeast part of the Sahara Desert, NE Africa, in SW Egypt, E Libya, and NW Sudan; called the Western Desert in Egypt. It is a region of sand dunes, stony plains, and rocky plateaus. There are few inhabitants and little traffic across it. Al Kufrah, Libya, is the chief oasis.

Libyan Desert

a desert in Africa, in the northeastern part of the Sahara, west of the Nile River. It lies within eastern Libya, western Egypt, and the northern part of the Sudan, covering an area of about 2 million sq km. The northern part of the desert is low-lying and covered by sand dunes up to 300 m in height. In the northeast there are deep tectonic depressions: Qattara (133 m below sea level), Siwa, and Faiyum. The southern part is a rocky and sandy plateau 400–500 m in elevation with outlier massifs rising to 1,934 m (al-Uwaynat). Most of the area has a tropical, desert climate; in the north the climate is Mediterranean and semidesert. The mean January temperature is 12°-18°C, and July temperatures average 28°-35°C. Daily temperature fluctuations reach 15°-16°C. Annual precipitation totals less than 25 mm, although the northern part may receive 50–100 mm. Sometimes there is no rainfall for several years. The Libyan Desert has almost no dry water-courses (wadis). The sparse vegetation consists of desert acacia, tamarisk, and wormwood. Oases occur where the groundwater rises to the surface. The largest oases are Siwa, Bahariya, Faiyum, Dakhla, Kharga, al-Kufrah, and Farafra. Most of the population is concentrated in the oases and the chief occupations are farming (date palms, peaches and apricots, and cereals) and livestock raising. The Faiyum and Kharga oases are connected by rail with the Nile Valley. There is an iron ore deposit in Bahariya.

Libyan Desert

a desert in N Africa, in E Libya, W Egypt, and the NW Sudan: the NE part of the Sahara

Libyan Desert

Related to Libyan Desert: Kalahari Desert

noun

Words related to Libyan Desert

noun the northeastern part of the Sahara Desert in Libya and Egypt and Sudan

Related Words

Arab Republic of Egypt
Egypt
United Arab Republic
Libya
Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Republic of the Sudan
Soudan
Sudan
Sahara
Sahara Desert