Chott El Jerid is a large salt lake in southwestern Tunisia. It is located in the Sahara Desert and covers an area of approximately 5,000 square kilometers. The lake is known for its strikingly beautiful and otherworldly landscape, which features vast expanses of white salt flats, towering dunes, and occasional palm trees.
The salt flats of Chott El Jerid are an important economic resource for the surrounding region. The lake bed contains significant deposits of salt, which are harvested and processed into a variety of products including table salt, road salt, and salt blocks for animal feed.
Chott El Jerid is also a popular tourist destination. Visitors come to marvel at the surreal beauty of the salt flats and dunes, and to explore the nearby towns and cities of southern Tunisia. The lake has also been used as a filming location for a number of movies, including the Star Wars franchise.
Despite its arid and inhospitable environment, Chott El Jerid is home to a variety of plant and animal species, including several species of bird that migrate to the area during the winter months. However, the lake's fragile ecosystem is threatened by climate change and other environmental pressures, which are causing the lake to shrink and its salt flats to become more brittle and unstable.