Oasis
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- For other uses, see Oasis (disambiguation).
In geography, an oasis is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source.
The location of oases has been of critical importance for trade and transportation routes in desert areas. Caravans must travel via oases in order that supplies of water and food can be replenished. Thus, political or military control of an oasis has in many cases meant control of trade on a particular route. For example the oases of Awjila, Ghadames and Kufra, situated in modern-day Libya, have at various times been vital to both North-South and East-West trade in the Sahara desert.
The word oasis is from Greek ὄασις oasis, which comes directly from Egyptian wḥ3t or Demotic wḥỉ; it does not come directly from Coptic ouaḥe (*/waħe/), as is sometimes suggested.
Oases include
- Safsaf Oasis, Egypt
- Siwa Oasis, Egypt
- Tabas, Iran
- Shahdad, Iran
- Turpan, Xinjiang, China
- El Tour, Sinai, Egyptde:Oase
es:Oasis eo:oazo fa:واحه fr:Oasis he:נווה מדבר ja:オアシス nl:Oase pl:Oaza pt:Oásis zh:綠洲