Kyzylkum, << kuh zihl KOOM >> is a desert that lies in southern Kazakhstan and northern Uzbekistan in central Asia. Kyzylkum means red sands in Turkic. It covers about 88,000 square miles (228,000 square kilometers) between the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers, and is southeast of the Aral Sea. Low hill ranges and sandy wastes and dunes cover parts of this desert. Loess soils are scattered in the southeastern portion. Other sections, such as the northern Syr Darya River plains and the eastern upland fringes, have been irrigated so that farmers can raise crops. Mining and livestock-raising are also part of the area’s economy.
