Oases are often in the most inhospitable places on Earth — the last place you’d think of going on purpose, the real estate of dreams rather than reality.

Business owners understand the heavy symbolism inherent in the word, and many use “oasis” as part of a company name to make promises.

But for some people and animals, oases are home.

About 75 percent of the Saharan Desert population lives by oases, according to NationalGeographic.

The location of oases has been critically important to trade and transportation routes in desert areas, according to Wikipedia. Caravans must travel via oases so that water and food can be replenished. Political or military control of an oasis often means control of trade on a particular route. For example, the oases of Awjila, Ghadames, and Kufra in modern-day Libya, have at various times been vital to trade in the Sahara Desert.

The Sahara doesn’t have the market on African oases. Check out these stunning African oases that aren’t all in the Sahara.

Sources: NationalGeographic, wiki

Parts of this article by Mark Rausch first appeared in AFKTravel. Dana Sanchez contributed to this report.