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The Río de Oro or Wad ad-Dahab Peninsula ( or ) is a
The Río de Oro or Wad ad-Dahab Peninsula ( or ) is a peninsula
A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.
Etymology
The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
on the Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
coast of Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...
. The city of Dakhla (Villa Cisneros) lies on the peninsula.
It has a northeast-southwest orientation and a length of about 40 km, linked to the mainland at its northeastern end. Its width is relatively uniform, generally between four and seven kilometers. The narrow Dakhla Bay separates the mainland to the west. Its maximum height does not exceed twenty meters above sea level, but the coast that faces the Atlantic Ocean is higher than that which borders the bay.
The peninsula begins in a small outcrop
An outcrop or rocky outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth and other terrestrial planets.
Features
Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most p ...
of the Atlantic coast called Roque Cabrón. Another promontory, Archipres Grande, lies 26 km further on. At the southern end of the peninsula, there are two capes: on the Atlantic coast is Punta Durnford
Punta Durnford is a cape in Western Sahara Morocco .on the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Su ...
, which is low, features cliffs, and is dominated by sand-dunes; On the side that faces the bay is Punta de la Sarga, which is low and sandy. Between the two is Punta Galera, which has a lighthouse. In the southern third of the peninsula, on the coast of the bay, is the city of Dakhla, which has an anchorage and port facilities.
References