Karakum Desert

Karakum (Desert)
Sand dunes in the desert, in Turkmenistan
The Karakum Desert by NASA World Wind
Area	350,000 km2 (140,000 sq mi)
Geography
Country	Turkmenistan
State/Province	Central Asia
Coordinates	40°30′N 60°00′E / 40.500°N 60.000°E / 40.500; 60.000

The Karakum Desert, also spelled Kara-Kum and Gara-Gum (Turkmen: Garagum, pronounced [ɢɑɾɑˈɢʊm], from gara ("black") and gum ("sand"); Russian: Караку́мы, romanized: Karakumy, IPA: [kərɐˈkumɨ]), is a desert in Central Asia. The name refers to the shale-rich sand beneath the surface.^[1] It occupies about 70 percent, or roughly 350,000 km² (140,000 sq mi), of Turkmenistan.

The population is sparse, with an average of one person per 6.5 km² (2.5 sq mi). Rainfall is also rare, ranging from 70 to 150 mm (3 to 6 in) per year.^[2]