Farafra, Egypt

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Al Farafra

Location of Al Farafra

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Egypt: Site of Farafra Oasis (left).
Egypt: Site of Farafra Oasis (left).

The Farafra Oasis (Arabic: الفرافرة) is the smallest oasis located in Western Egypt, near latitude 27.06° North and longitude 27.97° East. It is located in the Libyan Desert, approximately mid-way between Dakhla and Bahariya.

White Desert
White Desert

Farafra has an estimated 5,000 inhabitants (2002) living witin its single village and is mostly inhabited by the local Bedouins. Also located near Farafra are the hot springs at Bir Setta and the El-Mufid lake.

A main geographic attraction of Farafra is its White Desert (known as Sahara el Beyda, with the word sahara meaning a desert). The White Desert of Egypt is located 45 km (30 miles) north of Farafra. The desert has a white, cream color and has massive chalk rock formations that have been created as a result of occasional sandstorms in the area. The Farafra desert is a typical place visited by some schools in Egypt, as a location for camping trips.

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White Desert Panorama
White Desert Panorama

Coordinates: 27°03′30″N, 27°58′12″E