Our story today is about an interesting region called the Negev desert. Israel is a unique country. Here you can recover in the waters of the Dead Sea, climb the hills of the Meron massif, relax on the beaches of the Red and Mediterranean Seas. And also get acquainted with the Martian desert landscape. Many people think that there is nothing interesting in the desert. But these people are very mistaken, since the Negev has several striking attractions.
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 about 12 thousand km. In the language of geography, the Negev is a continuation 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 peak almost reached the coast of the Red Sea near the city of Eilat.
What does the name mean
The name of the desert is interpreted in different ways. In Hebrew, it is consonant with the concepts of “dry,” “wiped,” and “scorched.” It seems to be relative to the desert, such a translation is quite logical, because due to the arid climate it is difficult for people to survive and a huge territory accounts for about 10% of the country's population.
But there is another interpretation. The Torah interprets the translation of the word "Negev" as "south." And it’s 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 were not invented for this division. They simply designated the northern, western, central parts of the Negev, the highlands of Arava and the valley of Arava. In the northern ecoregion, the Negev desert is not deprived of relatively fertile soils. In addition, up to 300 mm of rain falls here annually. The western region is less fertile, there are more sandy soils and precipitation is slightly less (250 mm). In the central Negev, the soils are completely dry and impervious to moisture. Strong soil erosion is observed here . The highlands and the Arava valley have poor and saline soils, and the precipitation in these regions is catastrophically small - less than 100 mm.
A little bit about the sights
The Negev Desert, whose attractions have an unusual appearance, attracts curious tourists. Jokes about the Martian desert landscapes are not very far from the truth. One of the natural attractions of the desert are erosive earth craters. These formations are called "makhtesh." The largest crater is called Makhtesh-Ramon, but there are even smaller ones (Makhtesh-Gadol, Makhtesh-Katan).
The Earth Crater Makhtesh-Ramon has steep edges, which makes its similarity with alien craters maximum. Scientists suggest that the Ramon crater is older than 500 thousand years. First, the soil was raised, and the surface layer of the rock was covered with cracks. Water began to fall into the cracks, starting the process of leaching and erosion of soft internal rocks. Thus, a large underground cavity appeared, the upper part of which collapsed over time, revealing to the world an erosive crater.
In 1998, Makhtesh Ramon was declared a geological reserve. Here, 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 season turn green and bloom quickly. The life cycle of desert plants is quite short. They grow rapidly, bloom and give seeds. During flowering, the Negev desert looks like a beautiful carpet. Here there are irises, lavender, acacia, violet and crane. All this magnificence is not only pleasing to the eye, but also sweetly fragrant, attracting insects.
Israeli water supply
The Government of Israel is faced with the fact that the vast territory of the state cannot be used in economic activities. An original decision was made, water in the Negev desert appeared artificially. The All-Israeli water supply was made 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 in the country agricultural communes with common property and an equal share of the distribution of labor and goods are widespread. These communes are called kibbutzim.
Also, the Negev desert, where artificial water supply is established, boasts a large forest of Yatir. Landing here began in 1964 and continues to this day. The array covers an area of 40 km². There are recreation areas and hiking trails, as many want to see the desert forest.
Thinking of the eternal
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 a pilgrimage along the Negev. They admired the same stars that flicker over the heads of today's travelers. For tourists seeking solitude and peace, some kibbutzim provide small houses around which silence and tranquility 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. A popular tourist route is the lavender caravan route along which incense was transported.