Taklamakan Desert of water, accounts for the somewhat wide diurnal temperature variation. The Taklamakan Desert has very little water, therefore it is hazardous to cross. Merchant caravans on the Silk Road would stop for relief at the thriving oasis towns. It was in close proximity to many of the ancient civilizations — to the Northwest is the Amu Darya basin, to the southwest the Afghanistan mountain passes lead to Iran and India, to the east is China, and even to the north ancient towns such as Almaty can be found. The key oasis towns, watered by rainfall from the mountains, were Kashgar,
Names of the Basque Country (in Spanish) (with both words capitalized as “País Vasco”) as official Spanish name of the autonomous Basque area within the Second Spanish Republic, today it remains official name of the autonomous community consisting of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa provinces. In present-day nationalist discourse it could be applied (capitalized or not) to any area deemed part of the proper Basque country. also país vasconavarro, País Vasconavarro, país basko-navarro. In Spanish literally "Basque-Navarrese country". Never appearing as “país navarro-vasco”. The term was in public circulation since the early 19th century but unlike other descriptions using the “vasco-navarro” adjective (“pueblo vasco-navarro”, “ejercito vasco-navarro” etc. )