What is the most sugar in the desert? The Sahara is the largest desert on the planet
The Sahara Desert is located in southeastern Africa and is the largest hot desert, the third largest after the Arctic and Antarctic deserts.
What is she really like?
The word “Sahara” evokes associations in any person with the scorching heat of the African continent. Under the influence of stereotypes, the average person often judges this African desert one-sidedly. But she is completely different. Endless sands stretching beyond the horizon with dunes and dunes towering on them, flat areas of salt marshes, rocky plateaus and oases immersed in greenery, sweltering daytime heat and piercing cold at night, almost complete absence of moisture and violent floods during heavy rains. . In the eastern part, the Nile River flows through the Sahara Desert, which served as the only source of life for the civilizations that lived along its banks in ancient times.
Why is the desert called Sahara?
Interesting fact: this unique area owes its name to the nomadic Tuareg tribes who have lived here since time immemorial. Translated from the local dialect, “Sahara” means “desert area.” The Sahara Desert, located in northern Africa, was first mentioned in documents dating back to the 1st century AD.
Area of the Sahara Desert.
According to various sources, the area of the Sahara Desert ranges from 8.6 to 9.1 million km 2. Due to its vast territory and differences in climatic and relief conditions, the following deserts are distinguished in its composition:
- Nubian;
- Arabian;
- Talaq;
- Libyan;
- Algerian.
Each of them has its own unique ecosystem, microclimate and unique topography.
Climate of the Sahara Desert.
In the northern part of the desert the climate is subtropical, in the southern part it is tropical. The average monthly winter temperature in the northern and southern parts of the Sahara reaches +13 degrees Celsius, in July it is +37.2 degrees Celsius. Moreover, temperature fluctuations in the northern part are significantly higher than in the southern part. The average daily temperature in the Sahara Desert can reach +50 degrees in summer (the maximum is recorded at +57.8 degrees), while the surface of the earth warms up to 70-80 degrees Celsius. In mountainous areas, temperatures can drop to -18 degrees, so in winter the soil freezes at night, and occasionally even snow falls.
In the northern part it rains from December to March; in the remaining months there is little rainfall. In the southern part, rains are observed mainly in the summer, often accompanied by thunderstorms. Also in the desert there are often dust storms, in which wind speeds reach 50 meters per second. In the western part of the Sahara Desert, humidity is high and fog is common.
In which countries is the Sahara Desert located?
Millions of tourists flock every year to touch the secrets that the Sahara hides and admire its grandeur. It stretches across several states. The list of countries most visited by tourists where the Sahara Desert is located includes Morocco, Mauritania, Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria. Each of them has its own unique attractions.
Sahara Desert in Tunisia.
Tourists who come to Tunisia and want to see the Great Desert should visit the city of Douz, which stands on the border of a blooming oasis and endless sands and is a kind of gateway to the Sahara Desert. As a reminder of this, on the outskirts of the city, near the Great Dune, there is a monument in the form of a symbolic key.
Tourists are offered a variety of excursion options. These could be one-hour camel rides to the dune closest to the city or expeditions deep into the desert lasting two weeks. Those wishing to see the Sahara from above are invited to take a flight on a motorized hang glider. It is possible to breathe the spirit of the ancient desert in the remote oasis of Ksar Gilan with its thermal waters and date palms surrounded by dunes.
Here you can also see the ruins of an ancient Roman settlement and defensive structure. And, taking a walk around the drying salt lake Chott el-Jerid, you can see the famous bizarre mirages of the Sahara Desert.
As part of the excursion, you are invited to visit the filming locations of the Star Wars film. An addition to the program is the opportunity to eat dates and buy a “desert rose” as a souvenir - a creation of sand, sun and wind, similar to a rosebud.
Sahara Desert in Egypt.
Not all tourists who come to Egypt are interested in beaches, sea and tanning. Many of them purchase vouchers to get acquainted with the pyramid complex in the Giza Valley, take pictures against the grandiose and mysterious background, and feel the magic of the desert. Travelers can visit numerous oases in the Sahara Desert.
In the city of Siwa, in addition to lush thickets of date palms growing near the springs, you can see the remains of ancient fortresses built from unbaked clay and brick, as well as a temple dating back to the reign of Alexander the Great. According to local legends, the grave of this commander is located somewhere here.
Most of the Southern oases are ideal points for embarking on horseback, car or walking excursions through the expanses of the Black or White deserts, which are part of the vast Sahara. You can get close to the Crystal Mountains, which enchant travelers with their picturesque beauty.
A visit to Bahariya, an oasis located in the western part of the Sahara Desert and consisting of several Bedouin villages, provides an opportunity to get acquainted with their life and customs. Some of the landscapes surrounding this oasis resemble the lunar surface, and thermal waters gush out from hundreds of springs located near the main settlement.
Knowledgeable tourists come to the Dakhlya oasis, located in the Nile Valley, to improve their health. There are many hot springs here, the waters of which help get rid of radiculitis and some stomach diseases. And in the city of Muta there is the famous Ethnographic Museum, where you can learn in detail about the culture and customs of the people living here.
Travelers to Morocco will certainly be attracted by the Draa Valley, which contains many oases. The main attraction here is the incredible scenery of red dunes and the ruins of ancient fortresses.
This was once the final stop for caravans crossing the desert to the Mediterranean Sea. People come here to admire the eternal dunes - the virgin ergs of Shigaga. The path to this magnificent spectacle can be made either by off-road vehicle or on camels, but only as part of a group. You won't be able to get to this place on your own.
Sahara Desert in Mauritania.
Traveling through the Mauritanian Sahara is quite dangerous due to the political situation in the country. But lovers of extreme sensations are attracted here by the Adrar plateau. It became famous after the beginning of the space age of mankind. From the depths of space, a grandiose structure called Gu-Er-Rishat is clearly visible on it. The diameter of this formation exceeds 50 km, and its age is more than 0.5 billion years. The origin of this phenomenon is still not precisely known. Previously it was assumed that this was a trace of a meteorite impact, but today most scientists are inclined to the version of erosional origin. Although this place is remote from civilization, travel companies organize excursions here.
Sahara Desert in Algeria.
The largest area of the Sahara Desert went to a country like Algeria. Its endless sandy expanses occupy about 80% of the state's territory.
Unfortunately, the tourism infrastructure in Algeria is poorly developed, but travelers will be happy to visit numerous attractions, including the Tassile Mountains of the Sahara Desert with unique rock art protected by UNESCO, and the Mzab Valley with its unique architecture of all five cities located in it.
Sahara Desert on a map of Africa
(pictures are clickable)
The Sahara Desert is located in North Africa, covers about a quarter of the continent and is the largest tropical desert on the planet. Geographically it covers the southern regions of Morocco and Tunisia, most of Egypt, Algeria, Mauritania and Libya, the northern territories of Mali, Niger, Chad and Sudan. The maximum length from the northern tip to the southern is about 2000 km, and from the western to the eastern - 5700 km. Since the boundaries of the Sahara are defined differently by individual researchers, estimates of the area vary - from 6 to 8 million km².
Climate in the Sahara Desert
Climatic conditions are characterized by high air temperatures with very large daily and annual fluctuations. Daytime temperatures in some areas rise to 56-58 °C, thereby approaching the maximum on the planet. At night, on the contrary, frosts on the soil are common. In the central mountain ranges, night temperatures down to -18 °C are recorded. Sandstorms that do not subside for several days and wind speeds during which reach 50 m/sec are very common.
The average annual precipitation in the outlying areas is 100-200 mm, on the plains less than 50 mm (in the mountains, as a rule, less than 100 mm). In the central part of the desert, rain may not be seen for several seasons in a row.
But one can also observe a situation when, at the last exodus of strength, rolling from one dune to another, as a certain gift from higher powers, a green oasis with palm trees and murmuring water appears on the horizon. It is he who constantly reminds us that the desert is alive, which means it is capable of surprising its visitors again and again.
Flora and fauna
Sahara Desert photo
The vegetation for the most part is perennial grasses and shrubs, resistant to drought and having a fairly deep (reaching 15-20 m) root system, as well as ephemeral plants, the period of development of which occurs after rainfall. In general, the vegetation cover is quite sparse, and in places where sand accumulates it is completely absent. Mountainous regions boast a wide variety of vegetation, where many endemic plants can be found. Of the trees and shrubs, the most common are some types of acacias, tamarisks, ephedra, and gorse.
The fauna in the driest areas is very poor (with the exception of birds, about half of whose species are in Sahara Desert migratory). There are a total of about 60 species of mammals, including the Saharan hare, several species of gazelles and the most adapted ungulate for long-term existence without water - the Mendes antelope. Among the predators you can find the fennec fox, jackal, cheetah, and hyena. From the rodent family, gerbils and jerboas are common. A large number of reptiles: lizards, monitor lizards and snakes.
Real life in the desert begins at night. The sunset gives a signal to animals that they can leave their daytime shelters and begin an active search for food, as well as enjoy the fresh wind and coolness.
Sahara Desert photo
The population of the Sahara, not including densely populated areas in the valley and the Nile Delta, is about 3 million people. Two thirds of the population (the density is 1000 people per km² or more) is concentrated mainly in the northern part of the Algerian Sahara, along the outskirts of the western and southern regions, as well as in oases. The ethnic composition is very diverse with a predominance of the Berber-Arab population. The Ahaggar Highlands and the Air Plateau are home to the Tuaregs (nomadic pastoralists), whose number is about 30 thousand people. The Tibesti Highlands are the habitat of the Negroid Tubu tribe.
The traditional occupations of the local population are nomadic animal husbandry and collection of wild edible plants and fruits. Agriculture is widespread in Voasis, where date palm crops and vegetables are grown. Nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes are engaged in breeding camels, sheep and goats. With the onset of spring, they move in search of pastures for them, and winter in oases.
Overall, the Sahara Desert is a unique phenomenon created by nature. Nothing shakes the human consciousness more than hot “red” sands, black rocks and majestic sand dunes.
The Sahara Desert covers an impressive portion of the territories of countries such as Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), Sudan and Tunisia. The desert covers an area of 9.2 million square meters. km (3.6 million sq. miles), covering one fourth of the continent's surface.
The Sahara Desert is divided into smaller geographical regions such as the Libyan Desert, Tenere Desert, Western Sahara, Ahaggar Highlands, Tibesti Mountain Plateau and Air Plateau. The highest point of the desert is located at Tibesti in northern Chad. The peak is called Emi-Kusi, and rises to a height of 3,445 meters above sea level.
On the eastern border, the Sahara is washed by the Red Sea, and on the western border by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. To the south it borders the tropical savanna known as the Sahel, which is part of Sudan and the Niger River Valley. The Sahara region, known as the Nubian Desert, is located in northeastern Sudan, and is bordered by the Red Sea and the Nile River. Another region of the Sahara, called the Tanezruft Desert, is located near the borders of Mali, Niger and Algeria, west of the Ahaggar highlands. The Eastern Desert covers parts of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.
SAHARA DESERT - INTERESTING FACTS.
The Sahara is the largest desert on Earth, with an area of about 9 million km2, which is slightly less than the area of the United States of America. The Sahara is located in North Africa, on the territory of more than ten states (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan). The Sahara does not lend itself to categorization within one type of desert, although the predominant type is sandy-stony. The desert consists of many regions: Tenere, Greater Eastern Erg, Greater Western Erg, Tanezruft, Hamada el-Hamra, Erg Igidi, Erg Shesh, Arabian, Libyan, Nubian deserts. The name "Sahara" is an Arabic translation of the Tuareg word "tenere", meaning desert.
In 2008, an international group of scientists from Germany, Canada and the United States, as a result of research, found that the Sahara turned into a desert about 2,700 years ago as a result of very slow climate evolution. Scientists were able to draw such conclusions based on a study of geological sediments recovered from the depths of Lake Yoa, located in northern Chad. According to research results, about 6 thousand years ago trees grew in the Sahara and there were many lakes. Thus, this work of scientists refutes the existing theory that this part of Africa turned into a desert 5.5 thousand years ago and that the desertification process took only a few centuries. About 160 thousand mirages are observed annually in the Sahara. They can be stable and wandering, vertical and horizontal. Even special maps of caravan routes have been compiled with an assessment of the places where mirages are usually observed. These maps show where wells, oases, palm groves, and mountain ranges appear.
The Sahara has a combined climate: subtropical and tropical.
The local conditions are practically unsuitable for human habitation, but the tribes of nomads (Tuaregs and Tedas) probably cannot imagine another life and feel great in the world’s largest uninhabited territory.
Geographically, the Sahara is rocky. It includes underground rivers that sometimes emerge to form oases.
There are dunes that reach heights of up to 180 meters.
It may sound strange, but the peaks in the desert are covered with snow in winter. The eastern part of the Sahara, the Libyan Desert, is dry and has several oases.
The Sahara receives only 20 cm of rain per year. This is one of the reasons that only 2 million people live here.
During the last Ice Age, the desert was larger than it is now. The Sahara has one of the most brutal climates in the world. The predominantly northeast wind often leads to sandstorms.
In the desert there is the City of Tidikelt, which has not received a single drop of rain for ten years.
The average temperature in the Sahara is 30 degrees Celsius, and the maximum is 50 degrees; in winter the temperature often drops below zero;
Only some animals can survive in the Desert - Camels, sand snakes, scorpions, monitor lizards.
About 500 species of flora survive here;
Emi Koussi is the highest point in the Sahara Mountains. Its height is 3415 meters.
Let's take a little break from serious topics and take a walk... through the Sahara Desert. Although in real life many of us are unlikely to be able to do this. The hot sand will not allow you to walk, as on some summer days the sand heats up to 80 degrees. And not everyone will be able to travel to Africa to take a tour through the desert by bus.
But we can take a virtual walk through the desert, and it’s also possible to learn interesting facts about this amazing desert. So, let's go!
The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world. It is located in the north and occupies a third of the African continent, which is slightly larger than the territory of a state such as Brazil. It stretches over an area of about 8.6 million km². From west to east the length of the desert is 4800 km, from north to south – 800-1200 km. On the western side, the desert is bordered by the Atlas Mountains and washed by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the east by the Red Sea, and on the south is the Sahel, a transitional region to the Sudanese savannah.
There are 10 countries in the desert: Algeria, Egypt, Western Sahara, Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Chad.
Life in the desert without water is impossible, but despite this, almost 2.5 million people live in the desert. They lead a sedentary lifestyle in oases in the valleys of the Nile and Niger rivers, where there is water and vegetation. The most numerous peoples of the desert are the Tuaregs and Berbers.
Features of the Sahara Desert
In our minds, the desert is sands and dunes that move with the help of the wind. But the sands in the Sahara Desert occupy only a fifth. The thickness of the sands is approximately 150 meters. The sands are swept into dunes, some of which sometimes reach the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. There is so much sand in the desert that if every person living on our planet had to scoop up sand using 10-liter buckets, they would have to carry out 3 million buckets.
70% of the desert territory is occupied by sandstone mountains, and the remaining 10% is sand and pebble wasteland, on which you cannot even see a trace of vegetation - it is barren rocky land and salt marshes.
Sahara Desert. Safari
In the Sahara there is a city called Tegazi, where the walls of the houses are made of rock salt. But the residents of this city are not afraid that their houses may dissolve from the rains. This is the driest place on Earth.
Climate
Until recently, it was believed that the Sahara Desert appeared about 5 million years ago. But scientists currently believe that the lands of modern Sahara became deserted only 2.7 thousand years ago.
It's still so hot in the desert! It’s simply impossible to be in the sun, or rather in the open. In summer, the air temperature rises to 58°, and in winter – to 15-28° C, which is typical for annual temperature changes. We have this temperature in the summer, but in the desert it’s in the winter! Such changes in annual temperatures are observed more often in the northern regions of the desert. But differences between day and night are observed within 20-25°.
The climate of the Sahara is determined by the northeast trade wind, and sandstorms often occur that even reach Europe. The climate in the north of the desert is dry subtropical, in the south it is dry tropical.
Water
Life in the desert is concentrated only near water. The largest river flowing through the Sahara Desert is the Nile. Its main tributaries - the Blue and White Nile - merge in the south-east of the Sahara, passing along the eastern side of the desert, flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. In the sixties of the 20th century, a large Nasser reservoir was created, which, when overflowed, formed Lake Toshka. The Niger River flows along the southwestern edge of the Sahara, near the inner delta of which there are lakes Fagibin, Garou, Niangai, and others.
Nile River near Luxor
Precipitation is rare in the desert. And what sometimes falls in the rains does not reach the ground, evaporating from the hot sand along the way. The Sahara is one of the places where evaporation is several times higher than the amount of precipitation.
But the most interesting thing is that under the sands of the Sahara there are huge “deposits” of groundwater, which are larger in area than our Baikal.
Saharan groundwater is used for irrigation. The first mention of irrigation systems dates back to the culture of Ancient Egypt. It is safe to say that the Egyptians developed a method of irrigating land. The Egyptians dug many parallel small canals perpendicular to the movement of the Nile. Some of them converge into basins, from which water was distributed over irrigated lands, providing them with moisture.
Mirages
Mirages are another interesting fact about the Sahara Desert. How many people, traveling through the desert, have suddenly seen oases with water and palm trees, thinking that it is located about 2-3 km from them? In fact, sometimes you have to walk 500 kilometers or more to get to the nearest water.
A mirage is an optical phenomenon in the atmosphere; a stream of light is refracted at the boundary between layers of air of different density and temperature.
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