Grand Bara


The Grand Bara, Bara Wein or Bada Wein, is a desert in southern Djibouti. It consists of large areas of sand flats, with sparse, semi-desert and desert grasses and scrub vegetation. A road built in 1981 passes through the area, connecting the capital Djibouti City with the south. Prior to the arrival of the French, the extremely arid interior was inhabited primarily by the Issa Somali. Runner makes her way across the Grand Bara Desert during the Annual Grand Bara 15K race.

Geography

The Grand Bara and Petit Bara are the remains of dried up lake beds. They form vast arid plains in the centre of Djibouti and mark the delimitation of the volcanic part of the country from the sedimentary part. The clay of which they are formed is poorly drained and water collects here in the rainy season and this is followed by the growth of grasses.
Djibouti has few paved roads; it has been estimated that there are about of roads, only about 12% being paved, and fewer than half being serviceable throughout the year. In 1981, a road across the Grand Bara was built, linking the capital with the south. It is about long.

Ecology

The Grand Bara is part of the Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands ecoregion. Large mammals occurring in this area include the Beira antelope, Dorcas gazelle, Soemmerring's gazelle, Salt's dik-dik and gerenuk. Few Beisa oryx remain after great hunting pressure. The Berbera gerbil is endemic to this region as are Arnold’s leaf-toed gecko and the northern sand gecko. Archer's lark is the only endemic bird species.

Climate

The heavy rainfall affected the Grand Bara. As a Result the Plain floods in July and September. The climate of the Grand Bara limits the number of animals living permanently in these extreme conditions.