A sandy area called Błędowska Desert stretches between Silesian and Cracow-Czestochowa Uplands. The desert is 11 km long and 2- 4 km wide, covers an area of 32 km sq and runs East-West. The sand resources are estimated to be 10 billion cubic metres and are exploited for glass manufacture and in coal-mining. In the vast majority of cases, these are shifting sands, which are constantly moved by the wind. The environmentalists urge for the area to be designated a natural park.