A desert region of northern Saudi Arabia. It is noted for its red sand and sudden violent winds.
Nefud
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Ne·fud (nĕ-fūd')  also Na·fud
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A desert region of northern Saudi Arabia. It is noted for its red sand and sudden violent winds.
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| Columbia Encyclopedia: Nafud |
Nafud (näfūd') or Nefud (nĕfūd'), desert area in the northern part of the Arabian peninsula, occupying a great oval depression; 180 mi (290 km) long and 140 mi (225 km) wide. This area of red sand is surrounded by sandstone outcrops that have eroded into grotesque shapes. The Nafud is noted for its sudden violent winds, which have formed great crescent-shaped dunes, rising up to 600 ft (183 m). Rainfall occurs once or twice a year. In some lowland basins, especially those near the Hejaz Mts. (to the west), there are oases where dates, vegetables, barley, and fruits are raised. The Nafud is connected to the Rub al Khali, the great desert of S Arabia, by the Dahna, a corridor of gravel plains and sand dunes, 800 mi (1,287 km) long and 15 to 50 mi (24.1-80.5 km) wide.
| Wikipedia: An Nafud |
Al-Nefud or The Nefud (Arabic,صحراء النفود, ṣahrā' al-nefud) is a desert in the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula at 28° 30' 00" N 041° 00' 00" E, occupying a great oval depression. It is 180 miles (290 km) long and 140 miles (225 km) wide, with an area of 40,000 square miles (103,600 km²).[1]
The Nafud is an erg, noted for its sudden violent winds, which account for the large crescent-shaped dunes. Rain comes once or twice a year. In some lowland areas, namely those near the Hejaz Mountains, there are oases where dates, vegetables, barley, and fruits are raised. The Nefud is connected to the Rub' al Khali by the Dahna, a corridor of gravel plains and sand dunes, 800 miles (1,287 km) long and 15 to 50 miles (24.1-80.5 km) wide.
Prior to the Battle of Aqaba (during the Arab Revolt) forces led by Auda ibu Tayi attacked the Turkish-held coastal town of Aqaba on its poorly-defended eastern flank, achieved by crossing the Nafud. This harsh transit is depicted in the film Lawrence of Arabia.
References
- ^ Wright, John W. (ed.); Editors and reporters of The New York Times (2006). The New York Times Almanac (2007 ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books. p. 67. ISBN 0-14-303820-6.
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 | List of ergs |
| Ad-Dahna Desert |
| Eastern Desert |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "An Nafud". Read more |
