Al Khufrah Oasis

The Al Khufrah Oasis in southeastern Libya (near the Egyptian border) is one of Libya's largest agricultural projects. Because only about 2 percent of Libya's land receives enough rainfall to be cultivated, this project uses fossil water from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System, a large underground aquifer.

The Green circles in the desert frequently indicate tracts of agriculture supported by center-pivot irrigation. The Al Khufrah Oasis in southeastern Libya (near the Egyptian border) is one of Libya’s largest agricultural projects, and is an easy-to-recognize landmark for orbiting astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The Libyan government also has a project called the Great Manmade River to pump and transport these groundwater reserves to the coast to support Libya’s growing population and industrial development.