Grand Erg Occidental

The Grand Erg Occidental, is the second largest erg in northern Algeria after the Grand Erg Oriental. It covers an area of approximately. The sand dunes in the erg are formed by the wind, and can be up to high. Certain crescent-shaped dunes, known as barchans, are actually mobile; the wind can push these dunes as much as 20 to 30 m in one year.

Geography

It is a desert natural region that receives less than 50 mm of rainfall per year. The mean elevation of the Grand Erg Occidental is about 500 m, on average higher than the elevation of the Grand Erg Oriental, but not as high as the neighboring Tademaït to the southwest. This desolate region is a practically uninhabited area; there are no permanent villages.