Oasis
Overview
Egyptian oases correspond fairly with the Hollywood/Disney-like image of an oasis, where sand dunes suddenly turn into lush palm groves with a fresh-water pond in the middle. Some of the oases have blurred borders, where the gardens and settlements in the outskirts are poor and ugly. Other oasis begin almost suddenly after you climb down into the bowl where water is naturally pumped up from the ground, and agriculture is possible.
And that is very much the true reason for the existence of Egypt's oases. Water is pressed up from underground water reservoirs, water which can be distributed through canals to allow extensive agriculture. In modern times, gazoline driven pumps are used for reservoirs without sufficient pressure.
