An oasis is a place in a desert that has water supplied by a spring or other underground water source. The word oasis can also be used in a metaphorical way to describe a refuge or relief from something difficult or unpleasant. Discover a selection of oasis examples throughout the world, including many oasis names and locations.
What Is an Oasis in the Desert?
An oasis is often described as a place of comfort amidst difficulties. In a dry, arid region like a desert biome, it is an area that is fertile in a way that seems unlikely or impossible. This geographic term refers to a patch of green growing plants and/or water in an otherwise harsh and parched climate. An oasis in the desert may seem to appear out of nowhere, but that's not really the case. Instead, it is made fertile by an underground source of water that allows vegetation to grow, or even thrive.
Examples of Physical Oases A-K
There are many examples of desert oases throughout the world. Various plants from dry regions grow in these areas.
- Abraham's Oasis in Syria
- Agua Caliente in Tucson, Arizona
- Al Farafra Oasis in Egypt's western desert
- Al Fayoum Oasis in Egypt, west of the Nile River and south of Cairo
- Al Kharga Oasis in Egypt, west of the Nile valley
- Al-Hasa Oasis region in Saudi Arabia
- Awjila Oasis in northeastern Libya
- Chebika Desert Oasis in Tunisia
- Crescent Lake Oasis in China
- Desert Lake Oasis in Brazil
- Ein Gedi in Israel, west of the Dead Sea
- Ein-Kelt Oasis in the Judean desert in Israel
- El Dakhla Oasis is the southernmost oasis in Egypt
- Erg Awbari oasis in Libya's Sahara desert
- Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge in western Utah, United States
- Gaberoun Oasis in the Libyan Sahara desert in southwestern Libya
- Ghardaia Oasis in Algeria
- Gobi Desert Oasis in Dunhuang, China
- Huacachina Oasis in Peru
- Ica Oasis in Peru
- Khar Nuur in Mongolia
- Kufra Oasis in eastern Libya
Physical Oases Examples L-S
The list of places where you can find an oasis in the desert continues.
- La Cienega in New Mexico, United States
- Liwa Oasis in the United Arab Emirates
- Loulan in China
- Maranhao Oasis within Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhao, Brazil
- Miran in China
- Mulegé in Baja California Sur, Mexico
- The M'zab is an oasis group in Algeria
- Nahal David Desert Oasis in Israel
- Niger Oasis in the country of Niger
- Niya in China
- Oasis Ein Gedi, Israel
- Oasis in Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas, Nevada
- Oman Desert Oasis in the country of Oman
- The Ouargla Oasis in Algeria
- Palm Valley in the Northern Territory of Australia
- Qatif Desert Oasis in Saudi Arabia
- San Ignacio in Baja California Sur, Mexico
Physical Oases Examples T-Z
Discover the names of even more physical oasis examples, along with where they are located.
- Tabas in Iran
- Tafilalt Oasis in the Moroccan Sahara
- Tamr el Qusar in Sudan
- The Bahariya Oasis, Egypt's northernmost oasis
- Timia Oasis in Niger
- Timimoun in Algeria
- Tinerhir Oasis in Morocco
- Tozeur in Tunisia
- Tunisian Desert Oasis in Tunisia
- Turpan Oasis in China
- Twentynine Palms in California, United States
- Ubari Oasis in Lybia
- Umm-al-Maa is a lake oasis in the Idehan Ubari Sand Sea, Libya
- Wahat Salimah in Sudan
- Warm Springs Natural Area in Nevada, United States
Yarkand Oasis in China - Ziz Oasis in the Sahara Desert in Morocco
Metaphorical Oasis Examples
The word oasis isn't always used to describe an oasis in the desert. It can be used to refer to a place of refuge that provides a respite from the stressors of daily life or other taxing experiences.
- A tropical island
- A day spa or spa retreat
- A park in the midst of a very busy city
- The bedroom you use as an escape from your troubles
- A man cave or she shed
- A cruise ship
- A cabin in the wilderness
- The break room in a large office
- A backyard swimming pool
- A soak in a bathtub with candlelight and fragrant bubbles
- A church or temple
- The roof garden atop a high rise building
- A penthouse apartment or hotel room
- A mountain retreat
Get to Know Geography
There are many different oases, some are physical and others are metaphorical. Now that you've seen examples of both types of oasis, has this awakened an interest in geography? After all, physical oasis examples illustrate how fascinating and unexpected geographic locations might be. If you're interested in discovering what else is out there in the world, explore some of the different types of landforms that exist.