Chott el Hodna

Chott el Hodna occupies the lowest part of an enclosed basin ringed by mountains. Water descending from the Tell Atlas collects here without finding a way to the sea. Shallow pools and marshes spread over the depression when water is plentiful; in the heat of summer the surface dries and a crust of salt remains. The bare centre contrasts with the marsh plants and steppe around its margins, where birds gather when the waters return.