Oltenian Sahara

The Oltenian Sahara ( _ro. Sahara Olteniei) is a recently formed desert in the western part of the Walachian Plain (in the historical Romanian province of Oltenia) and spans from the city of Calafat to the town of Dăbuleni, covering an area that spans for about 80,000 hectares (800 km²) or 6% of the Dolj County. The cause of the desert is due in part to the recent droughts but also the deforestations that occurred in the 1960s. Consequently, due to the sudden desertification in the area, the name "Oltenian Sahara" has quickly caught on among the locals. [ [http://stiintasifictiune.scienceline.ro/_SAHARA_OLTENIEI____UN_DESERT_IN_DEVENIRE_4919_541_1.html ScienceLine.ro] ] Dăbuleni is likewise deemed as the "capital" of the Oltenian Sahara and it is the only place in Europe where an official Sand Museum exists. [ [http://www.infoportal.ro/articol~din-actualitate~info-112245~sahara-din-romania~perioada-august-2006~pp-up.html?pp_do=print InfoPortal] (Romanian)]

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