The Karakum Desert covers roughly 350,000 square kilometers of Central Asia, occupying about 70 percent of Turkmenistan and ranking as the twelfth largest desert in the world. Rainfall is scarce, averaging only 70 to 150 millimeters a year, and the desert supports an average of just one person per 6.5 square kilometers. The Karakum Canal, the second largest irrigation canal in the world, cuts across the desert, which is also home to the Darvaza gas crater, a collapsed natural gas field that has burned continuously since 1971 and become known as the Door to Hell.
Facts
Classification
Biogeographic Realm Area (sq km) Connections
Demonstrates
Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Shifting sands and sparse vegetation across the Karakum make it a frequent source of large dust storms over Central Asia.
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
In Biome
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Karakum Desert
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
The Karakum Desert ( KARR-ə-kum; Russian: Каракумы, IPA: [kərɐˈkumɨ]), also spelt Qaraqum and Garagum (Turkmen: [ɢɑɾɑˈʁʊm]; lit.
2. Karakum Desert (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section, area as share of Turkmenistan territoryQuote, Lead section, area as share of Turkmenistan territory
It occupies about 70 percent, or roughly 350,000 km2 (140,000 sq mi), of Turkmenistan.
World Wildlife Fund
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationDemonstrates: DroughtView the Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
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