| Oleshky Sands | |
|---|---|
| Олешківські піски | |
.JPG) Central part of Oleshky Sands in spring | |
| Area | 1,612 km2 (622 sq mi) |
| Geology | |
| Type | Sand desert |
| Geography | |
| Country | Ukraine |
| State |  Ukraine |
| Region | Kherson Oblast |
| District | Kherson Raion |
| Coordinates | 46°35′N33°03′E / 46.58°N 33.05°E /46.58; 33.05 |
| River | Dnipro |
Oleshky Sands is asemi-desert inUkraine inland from theBlack Sea.[1] It consists ofsand dunes orkuchuhury (locally),[clarification needed] which are up to five meters high. Sparse vegetation can be located across the sands.
The sands are thought to be formed during the most recentice age byaeolian processes accumulating and forming cliffs of lower parts of nearby RiverDnipro. It is speculated that the amount of vegetation was reduced by herds of sheep who were introduced there byFriedrich-Jacob Eduardovych Falz-Fein [de;ru;uk] who used the sands, formerly populated by weeds, as apasture.[2][3] In modern times the area has become theOleshky Sands National Nature Park.[4]
The Oleshky Desert is located inKherson Raion,Kherson Oblast, 30 km (~20 mi) east ofKherson. Before theRussianannexation of theCrimean Khanate at the end of the 18th century, the territory belonged to the nomadNogai Hordes, particularly the Djambuilut Horde. No detailed historical information about the region has survived.
The closest populated settlement is seven kilometers away (~4.5 mi). InSoviet times the sands were used as anAir Force bombing range for pilots of theWarsaw Pact alliance. To this day there is a possibility of finding someunexploded ordnance.
Due to its temperature and the amount of precipitation, the area is sometimes described as a semi-desert. Oleshky Sands are around 15 kilometres (9 mi) across and are surrounded by a denseafforestation, planted to prevent dunes moving. Due to its density, the forest often catches fire. Although a relatively small sandy steppe, the Oleshky Sands havesandstorms.[5] They occur as the type of the sand is very fine and is easily picked up by a wind. The intensity of the sandstorms is rather weak. Beneath the sands, at a depth of around 35 metres (115 ft), there is an underground lake, which forms an essential part of the local environment.[citation needed]
46°35′00″N33°03′00″E / 46.58333°N 33.05000°E /46.58333; 33.05000