Our today's story is about an interesting region called the Negev Desert. Israel is a unique country. Here you can improve your he alth in the waters of the Dead Sea, climb the hills of the Meron mountain range, relax on the beaches of the Red and Mediterranean Seas. And also get acquainted with the Martian landscape of deserts. Many people think that there is nothing interesting in the desert. But these people are greatly mistaken, as the Negev has several striking sights.
A bit of geography
The territory of Israel is a little over 20 thousand km (according to officially recognized data). Almost 60% of the territory of Israel was occupied by the Negev desert. Its area is approximately 12 thousand km. In the language of geography, the Negev is an extension of the Sinai desert. On the maps, its outlines resemble a large triangle, the base of which rests on the Dead Sea and the Judean Hills, and the top almost reaches the Red Sea coast near the city of Eilat.
What does the title mean
The name of the desert is interpreted in different ways. In Hebrew, it is consonant with the concepts of "dry", "wiped", "scorched". It seems that in relation to the desert, such a translation is quite logical, since due to the arid climate it is difficult for people to survive here and about 10% ofpopulation of the country.
But there is another interpretation. The Torah interprets the translation of the word "Negev" as "south". And it is also difficult to argue with this, since the Negev desert is the southern part of the country.
Ecoregions
Some sources divide the Negev into 5 ecoregions. Intricate names for this division were not invented. They simply designated the northern, western, central parts of the Negev, the Arava highlands and the Arava valley. In the northern ecoregion, the Negev desert is not deprived of relatively fertile soils. In addition, up to 300 mm of precipitation falls here annually. The western region is less fertile, with more sandy soils and slightly less rainfall (250 mm). In the central Negev, the soils are quite dry and impervious to moisture. There is severe soil erosion here. The highlands and the Arava valley have poor and saline soils, and the rainfall in these regions is catastrophically low - less than 100 mm.
A little about the sights
The Negev Desert, whose sights have an unusual appearance, attracts curious tourists. Jokes about Martian desert landscapes are not very far from the truth. One of the natural attractions of the desert are erosional earth craters. These formations are called "makhtesh". The largest crater is called Makhtesh-Ramon, but there are even smaller ones (Makhtesh-Gadol, Makhtesh-Katan).
Earth crater Makhtesh-Ramon has steep edges, which makes it look like alien craters to the maximum. Scientists suggest that the Ramon crater is older than 500 thousand years.years. First, the soil was uplifted, and the surface layer of the rock was covered with cracks. Water began to enter the cracks, starting the process of washing out and erosion of soft internal rocks. Thus, a large underground cavity appeared, the upper part of which eventually collapsed, revealing an erosion crater to the world.
In 1998, Makhtesh-Ramon was declared a geological reserve. Work is underway to preserve and restore natural landscapes and wildlife.
Is there water in the desert
The level of natural precipitation has been described above. Areas with higher rainfall during the wet period quickly turn green and bloom. The life cycle of desert plants is quite short. They rapidly grow, bloom and produce seeds. During the flowering period, the Negev desert looks like a beautiful carpet. Irises, lavender, acacia, violet and crail meet here. All this splendor is not only pleasing to the eye, but also sweetly fragrant, attracting insects.
Israeli plumbing
The Israeli government is faced with the fact that the vast territory of the state can not be used in economic activities. An original decision was made, the water in the Negev desert appeared artificially. The All-Israel water pipeline was built here, which made it possible to cultivate the fertile part of the Northern Negev.
Thanks to the appearance of water in this part of the desert, rural settlements appeared, which in Israel are called moshavim. And also inagricultural communes with common property and an equal share of the distribution of labor and benefits are common in the country. These communes are called kibbutzim.
Also, the Negev desert, where artificial water supply is established, boasts a large Yatir forest. The landing here began in 1964 and continues to this day. The massif covers an area of 40 km². There are recreation areas and hiking trails here, as many people want to look at the forest grown in the desert.
Thinking of eternity
Many tourists come to these places to enjoy the proximity of biblical legends. The Negev Desert is not in vain called the cradle of the Jewish people. The forefathers Abraham, Isaac, Jacob went on wanderings along the Negev. They admired the same stars that twinkle over the heads of today's travelers. For tourists seeking solitude and peace, some kibbutzim provide small houses around which peace and quiet reign.
In addition, the sights of the Negev include excavations of ancient trading settlements. The cities of Avdat, Mamshit and Shivta are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. A popular tourist route is the lavender caravan route, along which incense was transported.
