Oasis City Research Articles

Spatial integration of oasis city group around the western margins of the Tarim Basin

In this paper,the oasis cities in Kashgar Prefecture and Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture are taken as an example,through the factor analysis,spatial attraction interaction model and location quotient methods,urban hierarchy system,the intensity of urban economic ties,economic subordination degree,and structure of city functions were analyzed. The results indicated:(1) The urban hierarchy system takes Kashgar city as the main center,Artux city,Yarkant county and Maralbexi county as the sub-centers; (2) The intensity of economic ties among Kashgar city and each county is much higher than others. The interaction of Kashgar city,Shufu county and Shule county are the strongest,and the economic ties of Yarkant,Kagilik,Poskam counties are relatively close; All cities in the study area are economically subordinate to Kashgar city. (3) Three cities of Kashgar city,Shufu county and Shule county should connect strongly,with Kashgar city as the core. The cities and towns along the Southern Xinjiang Railway and along National Road 315 should be regarded as two strips,and the two city strips along the border,and the city strip along Provincial Road 215 should be treated as three axes. The ring structure strategy of 'core ring,closer ring and radiated ring' was proposed. (4) It was proposed to build Kashgar city group in the north,and Yarkant city group in the south,Maralbexi city group in the southeast,and Taxkorgan border city group with four inner groups’ development strategy.

Progress on the Study of Oasis Cities in Arid Zone of China

Oasis cities are the typical region of arid zone, which have the densest human activities and the most sensitive relationship between human and environment. It is positively worth studying oasis cities of China for theoretical and practical reasons. The history of research on oasis cities in China is firstly looked back, which started in 1980s, boomed in the middle of 1990s and are deepening in recent years.The emphasized directions of research are different in three periods. Based on many study productions of oasis cities in China, four main representative focuses can be summarized: (1) Exploration of the spatial features of oasis cities. Relying on the background of arid land, oasis cities embody special characteristics in different space dimensions, which are macroscopic layout, urban system and microscopic landscapes, respectively. (2)Research on mechanism of oasis urbanization. Different factors, including landform, water and land resources, mineral resource, human requirements and economic developing levels, have different effects on the forming and developing of oasis cities. All of these factors are acting on development course of oasis cities all along, with different intensions in different stages. (3) Region response of environmental system to the development of oasis cities. Oasis urbanization has been manifested to give negative influences on the environment of some arid areas but to give positive ones in others. (4) Research on the restriction of water to oasis cities. Water resource is the key aspect of development in oasis cities, but is not an absolute barrier. Many ways to sustainable development of water resource in oasis cities are taken forward. The study of oasis cities is facing favorable opportunities in the near future. Three trends can help deepen the study, which are wider study field, crossing and amalgamation of multi-subjects, and synthesis of new methods and new techniques.

Urban expansion of oasis cities between 1990 and 2007 in Xinjiang, China

An oasis is not only the most concentrated area of human activity in an arid area but also the largest area where artificial disturbances occur at a regional scale. The study of oasis urban expansion and related factors is important to understand the development of cities in arid areas, guide the evolution of rational urban expansion and promote sustainable development of oasis cities. Although there have been several studies on urban expansion in Xinjiang over past decades, a lack of quantitative data and methods impedes further research. In this paper, urban expansion of the studied area in 1990, 2000 and 2007 is evaluated using 39 Landsat satellite images, a geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS). We also analyse the related factors of urban expansion using quantitative and qualitative methods. We found that economic development and the area of the urban administrative region greatly effect urban expansion. Too rapid growth and outward urbanized expansion paradigms should not be applied blindly in arid areas from the point of view of sustainability. Historic–geographic features of oases and urban planning influence oasis urban morphology. Compact urban morphology is relatively better for protecting precious water and arable resources, and reducing ecology damage to the surrounding oasis. The relationship between urban expansion and population growth was not coordinate before 2000, and effectively only improved after that date. City growth should be moderated, with lower elastic coefficients, slower expansion and higher elasticity coefficients. Oasis cities in Xinjiang are expanding under the combined effects of urbanization, economic development, transportation, environment, resources, policy and planning.

A new Nabataean inscription from Taymā’

A new six‐line Nabataean inscription was recently discovered during building work in the centre of the oasis city of , north‐west Saudi Arabia. It is the epitaph of a ruler, or chief citizen, of the city and is dated by the era of the Roman Province of Arabia to AD 203. All but one of the names in the text are Jewish, and this is by far the earliest record of Jews in the oasis. The Nabataean script of the epitaph is also of great interest since it shows features which are normally associated with much later periods in the development of the Nabataean into the Arabic script.

Study of the Potential of Natural Light in Low and High Density Urban Environments in the Oasis City of Mendoza, in Summer

In urban geometries, the heights of building facades and the components of public spaces may constitute surfaces that modify the natural light proper to the sunny climate of the region. This study assesses the lighting potential of two urban canyons located in high and low building density areas of the oasis city of Mendoza, taking into consideration the same street orientation axis and tree species in summer. The study is conducted according to a Protocol for Natural Lighting Measurement in urban environments. As the results show, the contribution of the reflected component is reduced in the case of 30-meter wide urban canyons as the facades in the high building density area are influenced by the significant width of the streets. Furthermore, the view of the sky vault is obstructed by the trees, experiencing their maximum foliar growth in that season. On the contrary, the influence of the diffused component is, in both cases, increased.

Analysis on the coupling law between economic development and the environment in Ürümqi city

The inter-coupling relationship between urban economic development and the ecological environment refers to the total of interactive, inter-influenced and other non-linear relations between economic and environmental systems in the course of economic development. Taking Urumqi, an oasis city in arid region, as an example, we collected the data of environmental quality & pollutants discharge and information on economic development in the 20 years, analyzed the correlation between the two, conducted a fitted regression with quadratic and cubic equations, and acquired 14 mathematic models that could describe the relationship between the environment and economic development. The results show that there exists a coordinated and interactive relationship between the environment and economic development. On the basis of these quantity analyses, conceptional frame model is built to explain the fundamental basis of this environmental coupling in Urumqi city. Both a quantitative analysis of the coupling law and a good command of the internal law between them are useful for making comprehensive decisions about the environment and economic development and harmonizing the urban sustainable development.

Co-adaptation between modern oasis urbanization and water resources exploitation: A case of Urumqi

Water resources exploitation is always very important during the whole oasis urbanization in arid zone, adapting with urban development in between contradiction and coordination. Taking Urumqi City as a case, co-adaptation of water exploitation and urban growth is imitated by interactions between water supply and oasis city’s expands on population, economy and environment. In different urbanization stages, the co-adaptation can be represented differently, which can be summarized by five phases: elementary coordination, expanding coordination, expanding contradiction, adapting contradiction, and adapting coordination. Cost of water consumption, proportion of water use and efficiency are the main influence factors to help the co-adaptation.

中国新彊ウイグル自治区カシュガル市在住のウイグル人家庭の食生活実態調査

We investigated the eating habits of the Uygur family living in kashgar, an oasis city in the western part of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region, China. The results are as follows: 1. Lunch was full of variety, compared with the morning and evening meals; the former consist of rahmen, chuchura, poro, chinese-type rice dishes and so on, although the later was composed of only Nan-type bread and tea. The items of food were 13 to 18 per day. 2. As source of protein, mutton was most used but chicken and beaf were less consumed due to the high price. 3. Food was seasoned mainly with rock salt. Sugar was not used in cooking. 4. The average of daily intake of calcium, iron and vitamin B2 in men was less than the Chinese standard dietary allowance. 5. The comparative ratio of P : F : C was 9-12: 11-28 : 61-77.

Arabian oasis city: the transformation of Unayzah

Arabian oasis city: the transformation of Unayzah

An Inner Asian Approach to the Historical Geography of China

IN the evolution of societies geography is always a factor; but while the factor itself is always present, its effect varies in each phase of evolution. The assumption that the effect of geography on society is constant can lead to distorted historical interpretations. If, for instance, in the oasis environment of Central Asia we assume that the relationship between the oasis environment and the oasis society is constant, and if we find that in one period oasis cities flourished, surrounded by a prosperous agriculture, while in another period large tracts of the agriculture were abandoned and the cities withered, what is the explanation? Huntington,1 assuming that the ratio between environment and society is constant, is forced to the conclusion that such historical changes are to be explained by changes in climate, because only changes arising out of the environment itself could change the balance between environment and society. The explanation is not adequate. Undoubtedly climates and the other natural factors which make up an environment do change. Nature is not static. Nevertheless there are also other factors to be considered. In the Central Asian oases, and in similar oases in north-west China, agri? culture depends on irrigation. The water comes from melting ice and snow in the high mountains. In these oases, primitive societies developed into flourishing societies by evolving engineering techniques for the control of water. There is unmistakable evidence however that in this general region the effect of irrigation was not uniform. When irrigation was applied over long periods two problems emerged, one mechanical and one chemical. Silting was a mechanical problem which tended to get beyond the control of a society which had not yet evolved a machine technology. Silting is also a chronic problem of the lower Yellow river in China. The chemical problem was inherent in the use of drainage water which, flowing through mountains and the desert before being applied to the field, picked up chemicals in solution? chemicals not present in rain water. The repeated application and evaporation of such water, in arid areas where the chemical deposits could not be washed out of the soil and carried away, tended to a chemical accumulation which was eventually poisonous to crops. Yet another factor must be considered. In oases which were surrounded by steppe rather than by desert, the oasis society was in contact with a steppe society. The growth of the oasis population was limited by the water supply and by the degree of skill attained in extending the oasis by irrigation. The x Ellsworth Huntington, 'The pulse of Asia/ Boston, 1907. The materialistic view of the moulding of society by environment presented by Professor Huntington in this now famous book has since been developed in much greater detail in his many subsequent publications.

The Hilltops of Palestine

THE hilltops of Palestine present two marked features to view of modern travelers: first, set on hills, abodes of living; second, welys, or tombs of saints, built upon summits otherwise bare, abodes of dead. It must be supposed that original reason for choosing tops of for sites of cities and villages was their adaptability to defense. Other and secondary advantages may have been gained, as greater comfort and health to be secured from elevated station, avoiding stifling heat of valleys and dampness of plains at certain times of year. But doubtless prime reason was that of defense. A town thus placed could see approach of a foe, prepare for onset earlier, and repel more successfully assault. Neighboring towns could combine their efforts with more facility, communicating with each other by signals, than if they were in valleys with intercepting view between them. But few conspicuous exceptions are found-the seacoast cities; Jericho, in plain of Jordan, always weak and never successfully resisting a siege; Shechem, in deep hollow between Ebal and Gerezim, having no military advantage, but central and near chief sanctuary of Samaritans; Gaza, oasis city of south, like Damascus, oasis city of north, commercial centers that depended for their very existence upon abundant waters of their sites, and upon conjunction of great roads binding nations together. Other names will occur to reader, but by far largest number of towns are seen upon strategic heights, if not so conspicuous as Safed, yet well placed, like Jerusalem itself, to repel assault. It is not strange that the strength of hills should have