Qara or Cara is Egypt's 8th inhabited oasis, with a population of around 300 Berbers, though of a darker complexion than the inhabitants of Siwa. This oasis is often disregarded when it comes to counting the number of Egyptian oases as it is very small compared to the others. In local folklore if a newborn arrives, an elder will die shortly after, thus keeping the population constant. It lies at the SW edge of the Qattara Depression, 75 km NE of Siwa and is connected to the Matruh-Siwa road by an asphalted access route. Originally the inhabitants lived atop a neighbouring mountain which acted as a natural fortress, but today they live in simple houses beneath. Electricity for street-lighting and houses is provided by small individual solar cells.