Western Desert

E25149

arid region desert region

The Western Desert is a sparsely populated arid region in northeastern Africa, primarily in Egypt and Libya, that was a major theater of combat during the North African Campaign of World War II.

Aliases (9)

Western Desert Front ×5
Western Desert of Egypt ×5
Western Desert front ×2
Egyptian Western Desert ×1
Western Desert between Libya and Egypt ×1
Western Desert fringe ×1
Western Desert oases ×1
Western Desert of North Africa ×1
Western Desert region of Egypt ×1

Statements (49)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	arid region → desert region →
borderedBy	Mediterranean Sea → Nile Valley →
climate	arid →
continent	Africa →
country	Egypt → Libya →
countryDuringWWII	Kingdom of Egypt → Kingdom of Libya →
economicActivity	date cultivation in oases → oil exploration → phosphate mining →
extendsTo	Libyan border → Sudan border →
hasClimateCharacteristic	frequent sandstorms → high temperature extremes → very low annual rainfall →
hasSubregion	Bahariya Oasis → Dakhla Oasis → Farafra Oasis → Great Sand Sea → Kharga Oasis → Libyan Desert → Qattara Depression → Siwa Oasis →
knownFor	North African Campaign of World War II → World War II military operations →
locatedIn	Northeastern Africa →
notableBattle	Battle of El Alamein → Battle of Gazala → Battle of Mersa Matruh → Operation Compass → Operation Crusader → Second Battle of El Alamein →
partOf	Sahara Desert →
populationDensity	sparsely populated →
strategicImportance	access to Suez Canal → control of North African supply routes → proximity to Middle Eastern oil fields →
terrainFeature	gravel plains → rocky plateaus → sand dunes →
usedBy	British Eighth Army → German Afrika Korps → Italian Tenth Army →
wasTheaterOf	North African Campaign → Second World War → Western Desert Campaign →

Referenced by (41)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
10th Army (Italy) ("Western Desert front") → Battle of Gazala ("Western Desert Front") → Battle of Nibeiwa → Battle of Sidi Barrani ("Western Desert Front") → Battle of the Mareth Line ("Western Desert front") → Italian invasion of Egypt ("Western Desert Front") → Operation Battleaxe ("Western Desert Front") → Operation Sonnenblume ("Western Desert Front") →	front
Italian invasion of Egypt → Operation Compass → Operation Compass →	location
Bir el Gubi → DAK → Italian Trieste Division →	theaterOfOperations
Battle of Alam el Halfa → Battle of Bardia → Operation Crusader →	theatre
10th Army (Italy) ("Western Desert between Libya and Egypt") → Battle of Nibeiwa ("Western Desert of Egypt") →	geographicalContext
Cairo–Asyut desert road → Qattara Depression →	locatedIn
El Alamein → Siwi ("Western Desert of Egypt") →	region
Richard O'Connor →	areaOfActivity
Nile Valley →	borderedBy
Cyrenaican Desert ("Egyptian Western Desert") →	borders
Belhamed →	conflictTheater
British X Corps →	engagement
Pepi I Meryre ("Western Desert oases") →	foreignRelations
Battle of Sidi Barrani →	hasLocation
Beni Suef ("Western Desert fringe") →	hasNearbyFeature
Panzer Army Africa ("Western Desert of North Africa") →	historicalRegion
Panzer Army Africa →	locationOfOperation
Tobruk →	militaryTheater
Egyptian Border Guard Forces ("Western Desert of Egypt") →	operatesIn
Scetes ("Western Desert of Egypt") →	partOf
Cairo–Marsa Matruh line ("Western Desert region of Egypt") →	regionServed
Cairo–Asyut desert road ("Western Desert of Egypt") →	runsThrough
Battle of Sidi Rezegh →	theater
Neil Ritchie →	theatreOfOperations
Monty →	theatreOfWar