124
A. B. A. Belal et al.
1 Introduction
New Valley Governorate occupies a huge area of the southwestern desert representing
43.6% of the absolute region of Egypt underlie by high groundwater potentiality;
accordingly it is included in the agricultural expansion for Egypt (Mohamed et al.
2018b; Allam et al. 2002).
The Governorate’s name refers to the declaration of the late Egyptian President
Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1958 about the establishment of a valley parallel to the
Nile Valley penetrating the Western Sahara for reconstruction and cultivation on the
waters of the eyes and wells in order to alleviate overcrowding in the Nile Valley,
previously called the southern province (CAPMAS 2017).
On October 3, 1959, the first convoy for the reconstruction and rehabilitation
of the New Valley arrived and was considered a national holiday celebrated by the
province every year. In 1961, the New Valley Governorate was established within
the administrative division of the governorates of the Arab Republic of Egypt. It
was composed of two administrative districts (markaz): Kharga District and Dakhla
District. The oases of Egypt have been known since ancient times. The oasis of
Kharga was called the “The Great Oasis” where it occupied a great depression in
the desert and its capital is Hybes, which derives its name from the word Habbat,
meaning the plow. The Dakhla oasis was called Kantum and its capital (Dess-Dess)
meaning (cut off-cut) in terms of the plots of land and cut them for cultivation and
Al-Farafra was known as Ta-eh, the land of the cow.
New Valley Governorate is situated in the southwest of Egypt in the western
desert. It is bordered to the east by the governorates of Minya, Asyut, Sohag, Qena
and Aswan, and on the west are the borders of Egypt with Libya and to the north are
the governorates of Matrouh, the Bahareya oasis of Giza governorate and from the
southern borders Egypt with Sudan.
The area of the province is 440098 km
2 , identical to 44% of the complete region
of the Arab Republic of Egypt and about 66% of the area of Western Sahara. This
area includes three oases. They are Kharga, Dakhla and Farafra. Five administrative districts in the province (Kharga-Dakhla-Farafra-Baris-Balat) and the capital is
Kharga (Population Clock 2013; Sub-National HDI 2013).
New Valley is characterized by a dry climate in the summer warm winter and rare
rain, and the Dakhla Oasis described by the most elevated brilliance of the sun on the
planet consistently (Retrieved from Climate-Data.org 2013), which can be used as a
wellspring of sustainable power source of renewable energy. Also it is characterized
by the existence of vast land areas that can be exploited in the establishment of various
projects in all fields of industrial, service, agricultural and tourism. The natural factors
and geographical conditions of oases assume a significant job in forming the lives of
individuals and influencing their ideas and beliefs as well as their economic and social
activities. The geological environment is one of the natural factors that Presumably
plays a great role in the distribution of the population and shaping the lives of people
and society (Retrieved from New Valley Governorate Subdivisions 2018).
A. B. A. Belal et al.
1 Introduction
New Valley Governorate occupies a huge area of the southwestern desert representing
43.6% of the absolute region of Egypt underlie by high groundwater potentiality;
accordingly it is included in the agricultural expansion for Egypt (Mohamed et al.
2018b; Allam et al. 2002).
The Governorate’s name refers to the declaration of the late Egyptian President
Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1958 about the establishment of a valley parallel to the
Nile Valley penetrating the Western Sahara for reconstruction and cultivation on the
waters of the eyes and wells in order to alleviate overcrowding in the Nile Valley,
previously called the southern province (CAPMAS 2017).
On October 3, 1959, the first convoy for the reconstruction and rehabilitation
of the New Valley arrived and was considered a national holiday celebrated by the
province every year. In 1961, the New Valley Governorate was established within
the administrative division of the governorates of the Arab Republic of Egypt. It
was composed of two administrative districts (markaz): Kharga District and Dakhla
District. The oases of Egypt have been known since ancient times. The oasis of
Kharga was called the “The Great Oasis” where it occupied a great depression in
the desert and its capital is Hybes, which derives its name from the word Habbat,
meaning the plow. The Dakhla oasis was called Kantum and its capital (Dess-Dess)
meaning (cut off-cut) in terms of the plots of land and cut them for cultivation and
Al-Farafra was known as Ta-eh, the land of the cow.
New Valley Governorate is situated in the southwest of Egypt in the western
desert. It is bordered to the east by the governorates of Minya, Asyut, Sohag, Qena
and Aswan, and on the west are the borders of Egypt with Libya and to the north are
the governorates of Matrouh, the Bahareya oasis of Giza governorate and from the
southern borders Egypt with Sudan.
The area of the province is 440098 km
2 , identical to 44% of the complete region
of the Arab Republic of Egypt and about 66% of the area of Western Sahara. This
area includes three oases. They are Kharga, Dakhla and Farafra. Five administrative districts in the province (Kharga-Dakhla-Farafra-Baris-Balat) and the capital is
Kharga (Population Clock 2013; Sub-National HDI 2013).
New Valley is characterized by a dry climate in the summer warm winter and rare
rain, and the Dakhla Oasis described by the most elevated brilliance of the sun on the
planet consistently (Retrieved from Climate-Data.org 2013), which can be used as a
wellspring of sustainable power source of renewable energy. Also it is characterized
by the existence of vast land areas that can be exploited in the establishment of various
projects in all fields of industrial, service, agricultural and tourism. The natural factors
and geographical conditions of oases assume a significant job in forming the lives of
individuals and influencing their ideas and beliefs as well as their economic and social
activities. The geological environment is one of the natural factors that Presumably
plays a great role in the distribution of the population and shaping the lives of people
and society (Retrieved from New Valley Governorate Subdivisions 2018).