A well where a horse or a donkey is used to draw water

A well in Sénégal, with a woman getting water there

A well is a hole that is dug into the Earth to get a fluid. Most wells are to get water. There are also oil well s and gas wells.

A qanat is an ancient complex water well system used in the Middle East. Wells can be as simple as a hole that a bucket on a rope can be lowered into, or very complex with pipes and high-powered pumps to get the water out. Most cities that are not close to fresh water lakes or rivers get their water from wells.