The Monegros Desert or Desierto de los Monegros is a semi-desert in Aragón, northeastern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, spanning the provinces of

Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...

and

Huesca Huesca (; ) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon between 1096 and 1118. It is also the capital of the Spanish Huesca (province), ...

. It is a semi-arid zone prone to frequent droughts. It is noted for its annual electronic music festival held in mid-July, the Monegros Festival.

Geography

The Monegros Desert spans the provinces of

and

in the region of Aragón, including the ''comarca'' of

Monegros Los Monegros is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. It is located within the provinces of Zaragoza and Huesca. The area is prone to chronic droughts, and much of the area is a natural region made up of badlands. Los Monegros borders seven comarcas: H ...

in Huesca. Part of the desert lies in the Ebro Valley. The desert covers about and consists of 49 villages in 31 municipalities. The highest point of the Monegros Desert is Monte Oscuro, at an altitude of . Much of the landscape topography varies between and and is relatively flat semi-desert, with habitats of shrub-steppes prone to frequent droughts with high temperatures with hardly any rainfall (about 350 mm per year / 13.78 inches). Deserted farms and farm houses and

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

ous woods are also seen in scattered locations.

Flora and fauna

The environment requires plants that can endure salinity and dryness. Though the natural habitat of the region included shrub-steppe and

cereal A cereal is a grass cultivated for its edible grain. Cereals are the world's largest crops, and are therefore staple foods. They include rice, wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, and maize ( Corn). Edible grains from other plant families, ...

grasses have become replacements. Lesser kestrel frequent the area; they nest in caves spread across of the Monegros Desert. The area is protected as part of the

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...

network. Two LIFE projects co‑financed by the European Commission have targeted the Monegros area, at least partially. The Monegros Desert contains the proposed Los Monegros Protected Area, an area of biological interest due to its high number of endemic species and new discoveries. There are over 5,400 species in the area, according to a 1999 survey. However, the Government of Aragon has not decided to take measures to protect the area. Further research was performed in 2000, this time on the

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the tropical and subtropica ...

elements of the Monegros biota.

Conservation

Conservation of the

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

in the steppe ecosystem of the Monegros of the Aragon region envisages habitat improvements for steppe birds and related plant life. Improvements in irrigation are planned. However the setting up of a casino may adversely affect conservation efforts. The Aragon Steppes are cited as the largest habitat for bird communities in Spain. Highly endangered are

great Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" * Artel Great (bo ...

and little bustards, Eurasian stone-curlew, lesser kestrel, Montagu's harrier and Dupont's lark, as these species are directly threatened by changes in the steppe ecosystem. The endemic plant species, 45% of all plant species in Spain, are also under decline. A project supported by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

at the "Muelas del Jiloca"

Special Protection Area A special protection area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cer ...

has been launched to conserve the birds and plants.

Economy

The area is sparsely populated. A large scale economic development called Gran Scala was projected in the region, with some 32 planned casinos, 70 hotels, 232 restaurants, 500 stores, a golf course, a race track and a bullring planned, despite the region suffering from water and oil issues. The main roads of access are the N-II and AP-2, and it is also connected by rail.

Culture

Monegros Desert Festival

The Monegros Desert is noted for its Monegros Desert Festival, usually held in mid-July, attracting numerous Spaniards and internationally renowned DJs and bands and some 40,000 people to its electronic music performances annually. Formerly called the "Groove Parade" after being founded in 1992, it is held at the Finca Les Peñetes, roughly west of Fraga, not far from Bujaraloz. It is held in a windowless, graffiti-filled hall called Flarida, with an area of some .

References

{{Deserts Deserts of Spain Landforms of the Province of Huesca Geography of the Province of Zaragoza Festivals in Spain Recurring events established in 1992 1992 establishments in Spain