 |
Occupying about two-thirds of Egypt's land area, the natural region of the Western Desert is a vast swath of dry land that stretches from the western banks of the Nile to the Egyptian-Libyan border. From north to south, the desert stretches from the narrow coastal plains of the Mediterranean to the borders of Egypt with Sudan. The area covered by the desert is 680 650 square meters.
 |
| Western Desert Egypt |
The height of the Western Desert is highest in the southeast of the Al Jilf Al Kabir Plateau (3,300 feet). From here, the plateau gradually tilts to the northeast and forms the first depression occupied by the Al-Dakhil and Al-Harijah oases. The second depression is in the north and contains the Al-Bagriya and Al-Farafir oases.
 |
| Western Desert Egypt |
Finally, the plateau ends with the uninhabited and almost impassable Qattara depression. The Siwa Oases, the most populated oasis in the region, lies west of the Qattara Basin. An area of sandy ridges with rocky areas between them characterizes the landscape of the Western Desert, which extends from the south from the Qattara depression to the Libyan border. To the north of the depression, the plateau ends in the narrow coastal plain of the Mediterranean.