Desert Rub-al-Khali: description, coordinates. Sandy deserts of the world

The sandy desert of Rub al-Khali, which is called the Empty quarter in English, that is, the "empty quarter", is in the southern part of the United Arab Emirates. Rather, in the south is located only its small northern part, and the rest of the desert is in the territory of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest among the sand deserts of the world (see list below) and the largest in Eurasia. Sahara in its terrain and cover to such does not apply. Here all year round it is very hot: in summer the air temperature reaches 50 degrees, and in winter it does not fall below 30 degrees.

general characteristics

The Rub-el-Khali desert occupies a third of the Arabian Peninsula. It is located in its southern part. Its area is six and a half hundred square kilometers. It also has a hot and dry climate. Annual precipitation is less than 35 mm. It refers to arid deserts. Rub el-Khali runs through the territories not only of the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but also of Yemen and Oman. After all, it is so vast that it takes a good third (and not a quarter, as indicated in the name) of the Arabian Peninsula.

Geological structure

The Ruby-El-Khali sand dunes represent a large "basin" that extends from the northeast to the southwest and runs across the entire Arabian shelf. Under the red-orange and very fine sand lie layers of gypsum and gravel. The height of sand dunes in places reaches 250 meters. The sand itself is mainly of silicate origin and consists of quartz (80-90%) and feldspar (8-9%). The grains of sand are covered with iron oxide, which stains them in a reddish-orange color.

History: Versions and Reality

After several studies of the desert from the satellite were made, scientists assumed that in its place it was not always so deserted. According to the American scientists, five thousand years ago several eastern cities flourished here, and one of them was the same Ubar - the city of the Thousand Pillars. By the way, the Rub-el-Khali desert is still not completely lifeless, as it may seem from the first sight. There is an assumption that under a thick sands carpet a whole grid of rivers and streams is buried. There is another version: that in place of the desert there was a network of lakes in which lived as mammals (even hippos and buffaloes), and amphibians and reptiles. In the desert, human traces were also found: tools of labor, which are from 5 to 10 thousand years old. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find human remains for archaeologists.

Animal and flora of the desert

Oases are those areas of deserts where you can find greens. Every schoolboy knows about this. In Rub al-Khali there are several such places - Liva, El-Ain, El-Jiva. The last one is the most picturesque, it stretches for 50 km. However, these places do not shine rich in vegetation: you can find mostly saltwort and camel thorns. The animal world is also not very diverse. In Sharjah there is a desert park, and here all the representatives of the wildlife of the Rub-el-Khali sand desert are gathered. It turns out that there are about 100 of them. These are camels, snakes, scorpions, lizards, dozens of species of rodents, for example jerboas, etc. However, the most interesting of the desert living creatures is the antiseopa baza. It has straight cone-shaped horns. This is a fairly large animal, its weight reaches 100 kilograms. In the daytime, animals are practically invisible. They are hiding because of the heat in the cooler layers under the sand, but with the onset of night and coolness the desert is visibly alive.

How to drive up?

The Rub el-Khali desert can be reached in several ways. The simplest of them is through the capital of the Arab Emirates of Abu Dhabi. From there, to the sand dunes, you can reach the chic six-lane highway. It rests on the oasis of Liv located at the very edge of the desert. The second way also passes through the capital, but then keeps heading for Khameem and again approaches Liv. This road is more modest, as it has only two lanes for traffic, but everything is just as neat and comfortable. Here you will not find overloaded trucks, for them a separate parallel road is 50 meters away. But the third approach is the most interesting. It passes through El Ein and passes first along the border with Oman, then with Saudi Arabia and only then through the desert goes to the oasis of Liv. This road is the southernmost. Here tourists are waited by the most real adventures, that's why it is called the most interesting entrance to the Rub-el-Khali desert.

Description

If you choose this last path, that is, through Ein Ein, you will need to travel about 400 kilometers to find yourself in the picturesque oasis of Liv. On the way, it is better to bring along a lot of water and the necessary amount of food, although you can buy everything you need at gas stations. The last point on the way, where you can refuel, is the village of Al Kua. The closer you get to the destination, the higher the dune height, and the desert plant world is scarier. Of animals in the daytime you can meet except that only camels. However, it is still not a desert. Perhaps, such a landscape can be seen in many parts of the Arab Emirates and neighboring countries. By the way, local people often deceive tourists, leaving cities for 50 km and giving out these areas for the desert. In order to get into it, you need to spend at least 3-4 hours in the car. The most exciting safari you can expect only in the most real sand desert Rub-al-Khali.

Natural resources

What can be interesting for this sandy territory to the governments of four states - Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen? Of course, it is difficult to draw a line between them. Nevertheless, each of these states does not want to give another piece of this sand pie, because it found oil and gas reserves. In a word, the Rub-al-Khali desert can be called gold-bearing.

Desert Entertainment

Despite the fact that this is one of the hottest places on the planet, and throughout the year, there is a certain category of tourists who specially come here for a lot of unforgettable impressions. They do not just want to see what the desert is, but they also want to take part in some unusual activities. In order not to disappoint them and with the purpose of developing tourism business the local population begins to come up with interesting fun designed especially for the guests. The most popular of the entertainment is jumping, or rather, SUVs. There is nothing else to do here. Also suitable for these purposes are ATVs. They are able to overcome the giant sandy mountains - the dunes. Recently invented a new fun - riding on a specially designed for the desert skiing and boards. Women are more attracted by visiting the Bedouin camp, getting to know their way of life, and number one on the list is camel riding.