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Major aquifers
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This entry lists the major (mega) aquifer system(s) that underlie a country; many of these mega aquifers are so large that they extend under multiple countries. More than 30% of freshwater is held in underground aquifers.
Algeria
Lullemeden-Irhazer Aquifer System, Murzuk-Djado Basin, North Western Sahara Aquifer, Taoudeni-Tanezrouft BasinAngola
Congo Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi BasinArgentina
Guaraní Aquifer SystemAustralia
Great Artesian Basin, Canning BasinBahrain
Arabian Aquifer SystemBangladesh
Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra BasinBolivia
Amazon BasinBotswana
Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi BasinBrazil
Amazon Basin, Guarani Aquifer System, Maranhao BasinCameroon
Lake Chad BasinCanada
Northern Great Plains AquiferCentral African Republic
Congo Basin, Lake Chad BasinChad
Lake Chad Basin, Nubian Aquifer SystemChina
North China Aquifer System (Huang Huai Hai Plain), Song-Liao Plain, Tarim BasinColombia
Amazon BasinCongo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo BasinCongo, Republic of the
Congo BasinEgypt
Nubian Aquifer SystemEthiopia
Ogaden-Juba Basin, Sudd Basin (Umm Ruwaba Aquifer)France
Paris BasinGabon
Congo BasinGambia, The
Senegalo-Mauritanian BasinGuinea-Bissau
Senegalo-Mauritanian BasinIndia
Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra BasinIraq
Arabian Aquifer SystemJordan
Arabian Aquifer SystemKenya
Ogaden-Juba BasinKuwait
Arabian Aquifer SystemLibya
Nubian Aquifer System, North Western Sahara Aquifer System, Murzuk-Djado BasinMali
Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Taodeni-Tanezrouft BasinMauritania
Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin, Taodeni-Tanzerouft BasinMexico
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains AquiferNamibia
Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi BasinNepal
Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra BasinNiger
Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Murzuk-Djado BasinNigeria
Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Aquifer SystemOman
Arabian Aquifer SystemPakistan
Indus BasinParaguay
Guarani Aquifer SystemPeru
Amazon BasinQatar
Arabian Aquifer SystemRussia
Angara-Lena Basin, Pechora Basin, North Caucasus Basin, East European Aquifer System, West Siberian Basin, Tunguss Basin, Yakut BasinSaudi Arabia
Arabian Aquifer SystemSenegal
Senegalo-Mauritanian BasinSomalia
Ogaden-Juba BasinSouth Africa
Karoo Basin, Lower Kalahari-Stampriet BasinSudan
Nubian Aquifer System, Sudd Basin (Umm Ruwaba Aquifer)Tunisia
North Western Sahara Aquifer SystemUnited States
Northern Great Plains Aquifer, Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer System, Californian Central Valley Aquifer System, Ogallala Aquifer (High Plains), Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains AquiferUruguay
Guarani Aquifer SystemWorld
aquifers are underground layers of water-bearing permeable rock formations; they include alluvial formations such as unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifers, sedimentary rock formations of sandstone and karst (carbonate rocks such as limestone) aquifers, as well as volcanic aquifers, and basement aquifers (igneous and metamorphic rocks that underlie sedimentary and volcanic rock sequences); groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water wellThe World Factbook lists 37 major aquifers across 52 countries:
Africa - 13
Asia - 10
North America - 5
South America - 3
Europe - 4
Australia -2
although aquifers can vary in size, the major aquifers listed in The Factbook contain the bulk of the stored volume of groundwater; the fresh water held in these aquifers represents more than 30% of the world's fresh water; in the US, groundwater is primarily used for irrigation, and globally, 70% of groundwater withdrawn is used for agriculture; groundwater also supplies almost half of all drinking water worldwide