The Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan is one of the world’s largest sandy deserts, and its name means “black sand” in Turkic languages.
The desert covers most of Turkmenistan, occupying the lowlands between the Caspian Sea and the Amu Darya. Its name is commonly translated as “black sand,” although the sand itself can appear in several colours. The term refers to the dark appearance of vegetation or ground shadows in the landscape rather than to every dune being literally black.
The Karakum contains extensive sand ridges, gravel plains, and oases. The Karakum Canal carries water from the Amu Darya across the desert toward southern Turkmenistan, supporting agriculture and settlements but also contributing to major environmental pressures in the Aral Sea basin.
It is distinct from the Kyzylkum, or “red sand,” desert, which lies mainly across Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The two deserts are separated by the Amu Darya and Syr Darya region and form part of the arid landscape of Central Asia.