The area of the Sahara Desert is in kilometers. Sahara Desert: photos, interesting facts, geographical location
28.04.2014
Great Sahara Desert is located in North Africa and partially or completely covers the territory of almost eleven countries. This is the largest desert in the world, covering an area of more than 9,000,000 square meters. km, quite comparable to the area of the United States. It extends 1600 km wide and about 5000 km long from east to west. They say that a thousand years ago the climate in the desert was more humid. The fact is that in the distant past, the territory of the Sahara underwent various atmospheric changes, which led to a change in climatic conditions. The desert divides the African continent into two parts - North and Sub-Saharan Africa. By reading the interesting facts below, you will learn more about this desert.
The Sahara Desert is the second largest desert in the world (after Antactis) and the largest hot desert on the planet.
It covers almost all parts of North Africa. It stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coast, to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. In the southern region, its border is the semi-arid savannah region of the Sahel, separating the desert from Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the boundaries of the desert are not clearly defined; moreover, over the past thousand years they have undergone significant changes.
The Sahara passes through the following countries: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, Western Sahara.
The history of the desert goes back at least 3 million years.
The climate of the Sahara is combined: in the north it is subtropical, and in the south it is tropical.
The relief is quite varied, but in general it is a plateau lying at an altitude of 400-500 m above sea level. There are underground rivers here, which sometimes flow to the surface, forming oases. Vegetation develops well in such natural oases. The soil in these regions of the Sahara is very fertile, so where irrigation is possible, excellent crops grow.
Part of the desert territory is occupied by sand dunes that reach a height of 180 meters .
The central region is more elevated above sea level compared to the rest of its regions. The central plateau stretches for 1600 km from northwest to southeast. Its height ranges from 600 to 750 m, some peaks reach a level of 1800 m and even 3400 m. The highest points are the peaks of Emi Koussi with a height of 3415 m, Tahat - 3003 m, the Tibetsi massif and Ahaggar Highlands.
This may seem strange, but in winter There are snow caps on the mountain peaks. In the eastern part of the Sahara - the Libyan Desert - the climate is the driest, so there are very few oases here. This part contains sandy areas with large dunes, the height of which reaches 122 meters or more.
The climate of the Sahara Desert is very hot and dry. It gets very hot here during the day and cool at night.
The Sahara region receives only 20 cm of precipitation per year. It is for this reason that a very small population lives here, only 2 million people.
The desert used to be fertile land where elephants, giraffes and other animals grazed. Gradually it became increasingly arid, and the fertile landscape turned into the barren region we know it today.
The central part of the Sahara is extremely dry, with sparse or no vegetation. In areas where moisture accumulates, grasslands, desert shrubs, trees and tall shrubs are sometimes found here.
During the last Ice Age, the desert was larger than it is now, extending south beyond its present boundaries.
The climatic conditions here are considered the most severe in the world. Prevailing northeasterly winds often cause sandstorms and micro-tornadoes called “dust devils.”
Arabic is the most widely spoken language in the Sahara, from the Atlantic to the Red Sea.
The Sahara is divided into several regions: Western Sahara, Central Highlands of Ahaggar, Tibesti Mountains, Aïr Mountains (region of desert mountains and high plateaus), Tenere Desert and Libyan Desert (driest region).
The Nile River Valley and the mountainous regions of the Nubian Desert east of the Nile are geographically part of the Sahara Desert. However water of the Nile transformed this area of Egypt from a barren desert into a fertile agricultural area.
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Borders
Of course, a desert of this size could not occupy the territory of one or two African countries. It covers Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Chad.
From the west, the Sahara is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, from the north it is bounded by the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, and from the east by the Red Sea. The southern border of the desert is defined by a zone of sedentary ancient sand dunes at 16° N, to the south of which is the Sahel, a transition region to the Sudanese savannah.
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Regions
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It is difficult to attribute the Sahara to any specific type of desert, although the sandy-rocky type predominates here. It includes the following regions: Tenere, Greater Eastern Erg, Greater Western Erg, Tanezruft, Hamada el-Hamra, Erg Igidi, Erg Shesh, Arabian, Algerian, Libyan, Nubian deserts, Talaq desert.
Climate
The climate of the Sahara is unique and is determined by its location in the zone of high-altitude anticyclones, downdrafts of air and dry trade winds of the northern hemisphere. It rarely rains in the desert, and the air is dry and hot. The Sahara sky is cloudless, but it will not surprise travelers with its blue transparency, since there is always the finest dust in the air. Intense solar exposure and evaporation during the day gives way to strong radiation at night. First, the sand heats up to 70° C, radiates heat from the rocks, and in the evening the surface of the Sahara cools much faster than the air. The average July temperature is 35°.
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High temperatures, with their sharp fluctuations, and very dry air make being in the desert very difficult. Only from December to February does the “Saharan winter” begin - a period with relatively cool weather. During winter, temperatures in Northern Sahara can drop below 0° at night, although during the day they rise to 25°. Sometimes it even snows here.
Desert nature
Bedouin walks along the dunesDespite the fact that the desert is usually represented as a continuous layer of hot sand that forms dunes, the Sahara has a slightly different topography. In the center of the desert there are mountain ranges more than 3 km high, but on the outskirts there are pebble, rocky, clayey and sandy deserts, in which there is practically no vegetation of any kind. It is there that nomads live, driving herds of camels across sparse pastures.
OasisThe vegetation of the Sahara consists of bushes, grasses and trees in the highlands and oases located along river beds. Some plants have fully adapted to the harsh climate and grow within 3 days after rain, and then sow seeds for 2 weeks. At the same time, only a small part of the desert is fertile - these areas take moisture from underground rivers.
The well-known dromedary camels, some of which were domesticated by nomads, still live in small herds, feeding on cactus spines and parts of other desert plants. But these are not the only ungulates that live in the desert. Pronghorn Addax, Maned Ram, Dorcas gazelle and Oryx antelope, whose curved horns are almost as long as their body, have also perfectly adapted to survive in such difficult conditions. The light color of their coat allows them not only to escape the heat during the day, but also not to freeze at night.
Several species of rodents, including the gerbil, the Abesse hare, which comes to the surface only at dusk and hides in burrows during the day, and the jerboa, which has surprisingly long legs that allow it to move with huge leaps like a kangaroo.
The Sahara Desert is also home to predators, the largest of which is the fennec fox, a small fox with wide ears. Also inhabited there are sand cats, horned vipers and rattlers, leaving winding tracks on the surface of the sand, and many other species of animals.
Video: From Casablanca to the Sahara
Sahara in cinema
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The mesmerizing landscapes of the Sahara never cease to attract filmmakers. Many films were shot on the territory of Tunisia, and the creators of two famous films left a memory of themselves among the sands. The planet Tatooine was not actually lost in the distances of space, but was located in the Sahara. There is an entire “extraterrestrial” village from the latest Star Wars series located here. At the end of filming, the “aliens” left their homes, and now the quaint dwellings and the gas station for interplanetary aircraft are at the disposal of rare tourists. Next to Tatooine, the white Arabian house from The English Patient is still visible. You can only get here by jeep and with an experienced guide, because you have to drive off-road, in the complete absence of signs and landmarks. Fans of “The English Patient” need to hurry a little more and the merciless dune will finally bury this unusual attraction under the sand.
Most of North Africa is occupied by the Sahara Desert. This is the greatest desert on the globe (the area is about 8 million km 2, larger than Australia), stretching from the Red Sea for 6000 km and from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sudanese plains for 2000 km. The southern border of the Sahara is drawn with the plains of Sudan along a line from the mouth of Senegal north of the basins of the Middle Niger and Lake Chad to Khartoum and further to the shore of the Red Sea at the northern edge of the Ethiopian Highlands. In the north, the region faces the Mediterranean Sea and the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Under the general name Sahara, a number of tropical deserts of various types are united (Nubian, Libyan, Igidi, Shesh, etc.). Its territory includes the southern parts of the Maghreb countries, Libya, Egypt, Western Sahara (Saharan Arab Democratic Republic), Mauritania, northern Mali, the Republic of Chad, Niger, and Sudan.
The Sahara holds many climate records: the highest amounts of solar radiation and air temperature, the world's maximum evaporation values, and the most acute moisture deficit. The main feature of nature is the extreme degree of aridity, which determines almost all the main natural features. Of the factors determining aridity, the main one is the position in the tropical zone in the trade wind circulation zone, where air flows of a north-eastern direction with downward vertical movement predominate. The orographic structure of the territory also plays a role. The Sahara is located within the ancient African Plate, mostly on plate structures. The relief is dominated by plains of different hypsometric levels (mainly hills and plateaus), forming a system of shallow basins, which aggravates the features of continental climate.
The tropical climate of the Sahara Desert is characterized by a high degree of continentality and extra-aridity. Within a narrow strip of the Mediterranean coast, the climate is subtropical, but also dry. In the far west there are climatic conditions of tropical coastal (“cold”, “wet”) deserts.
Most of the territory throughout the year is occupied by dry and hot continental tropical air, which comes in winter mainly from the outside or is formed in the region itself in the high area. In summer it is of local or Mediterranean origin. The Mediterranean air, coming from an area of high pressure, has the properties of a trade wind, carries an inversion and does not produce precipitation. Dry air and the absence of clouds bring insolation to almost 100%. In the east of the region, annual values of total radiation reach the highest values on Earth (220 kcal/cm2). The July isotherm (32°C) outlines the main part of the desert. Evaporation is up to 5000 mm or more, and precipitation in most of the territory is less than 50 mm/year, which indicates an acute moisture deficit. Rain occurs occasionally in the north in winter (the effect of Mediterranean cyclones), in the rest of the territory - in summer, when air masses penetrate into the low pressure area and a trade wind front is formed. The slopes of the mountains and the outskirts of the desert are somewhat better irrigated, but there is also a moisture deficit here.
The Precambrian base of the platform is mainly hidden under a layer of limestone, sandstone, sand and clay. Stratified plains with a height of 300-500 meters dominate. The central parts of the internal depressions and marginal troughs are occupied by lower accumulative plains. Where the foundation reaches the surface, basement plains and revived mountains have formed (the Ahaggar and Tibesti highlands, Etbai, etc.). In the highlands, as a result of the development of volcanic processes, there are areas of lava plateaus and ancient ones: the highest point of the Sahara - the city of Emi-Kousi in the Tibesti highlands (3415 meters) is an extinct volcano. The arid climate determines the predominance of physical weathering processes and the dominance of aeolian relief. As a result of physical weathering processes under conditions of sharp changes in temperature during the day and wind activity, different types of deserts are formed in areas with different lithological compositions of rocks. The predominant types are rocky and gravelly (hamads) on hard rock outcrops, pebble and sandy-pebble (regs and serirs) on ancient alluvium. Sandy deserts (ergs) with accumulative aeolian relief occupy about 20% of the region's area in the lower parts of the basins. There are areas of clayey deserts and salt marshes (sebkhs and shottas) on the site of dry lakes. The plateaus and highlands of the Sahara are covered with a dense network of dry riverbeds - oueds, which are relics of past pluvial eras. The legacy of these humid climatic conditions is also represented by cuesta ridges (tassili) on monoclinal limestones and sandstones that border the uplifts. Forms of aeolian corrosion are formed on rocky outcrops, and accumulation and deflation are formed on sand. There are intricately wind-shaped rocks, honeycomb sands, dunes, dunes, etc.
Due to the extremely arid climate of the Sahara Desert, there is almost no surface water. The only major permanent watercourse is the transit Nile River, which receives its supply from outside the desert. The Uedas and most relict lake basins are filled with water only during short rainstorms. Under these conditions, groundwater, which in some places lies close to the surface, becomes of great importance. In such places natural and artificial oases arise. The artesian basins of the Sahara Desert are the largest in the world, but many of them have saline waters.
The vegetation cover in the region, under conditions of severe moisture deficiency, is extremely poorly developed, very sparse, and in vast areas of moving sand, rocky placers or salt marshes is practically absent. The species composition of the flora is poor: only a little more than 1,200 species were found on the vast territory.
Perennial xerophytic grasses and shrubs and annual ephemerals dominate. Cereals are mainly from the genus Aristides, shrubs - Saharan gorse, juzgun, retam, ephedra, acacia, camel thorn, etc. All of them have certain adaptations to life in conditions of low water, intense daytime heat and temperature changes. On high plateaus, altitudinal zonation is observed. There are desert savannas and mountain steppes. Mediterranean species enter the Oued valleys from the north, and Sudanese flora from the south.
Soil cover in the Sahara is discontinuous and in many places virtually absent. The soils are poorly developed, but contain large amounts of nutrient minerals, that is, potentially fertile.
The fauna is poor in species, but relatively rich in individuals. The fauna is characteristic of the desert regions of the Holarctic and is close to that of Arabia. About 60 species of mammals, many reptiles, terrestrial insects, and birds live here. All of them are adapted to life in arid conditions, to high daytime temperatures and large daily temperature amplitudes. The fact that in the past the climate of the Sahara was humid is evidenced by some animal species in mountainous areas that have a limited range, isolated from their main habitats (for example, crocodiles in the relict reservoirs of the Ahaggar Highlands). Ancient frescoes on the Tassilin-Ajjer plateau depict giraffes, elephants, and hippopotamuses, which, apparently, lived in these areas within the memory of people.
The Sahara is well endowed with several types of natural resources. The enormous amount of heat and the abundance of various mineral salts in the soils make this region potentially favorable for agricultural use. Limiting factor - . Indeed, where there is - in oases, people receive rich harvests of tropical crops. The main cultivated plant of the oases is the date palm, but various fruit, grain and industrial crops, such as cotton and tobacco, are also grown. The main population of the Sahara Desert is concentrated in oases.
A special type of oasis (and the largest in the world) is the Nile Valley, with a population of millions and a diverse modern economy. Agriculture in this area has centuries-old traditions and has a high culture of water and land use.
Some tribes of the Saharan peoples still lead a nomadic lifestyle and breed camels and sheep. They roam from well to well and concentrate in oasis areas.
The region's subsoil resources occupy a special place. Large gas deposits have been discovered here, there are reserves of manganese and uranium ores, and some non-ferrous ores. Soda has been mined in the Sahara for a long time. Settlements that arose in places of mining can be considered oases of a new type. The use of all natural resources is hampered by the lack of water. Artesian waters, especially fresh ones, are widely used for water supply. However, irrigation and watering in hot climates are associated with the danger of soil salinization and require a very careful, thoughtful approach.
The economic development of the Sahara Desert in recent decades has led to the exacerbation of many environmental problems in the region. The already meager natural vegetation cover is degrading, the number of wild animals is declining (many species are on the verge of extinction), soils are being destroyed and become salinized, and water sources are being polluted and depleted. Desertification processes, both natural (due to climate drying) and anthropogenic ones, are actively developing on the borders of the Sahara. In some places in the south of the region, deserts are advancing at a speed of 10-50 km per year, absorbing savannah areas. The implementation of programs to combat desertification and restore disturbed lands in this region with such a vulnerable nature faces great difficulties, the main one of which is the lack of funds to implement these projects.
The Sahara is the largest sand desert on Earth. Its name comes from the Arabic word “sakhra”, which in translation means “desert” (although some sources claim that it is translated from ancient Arabic as “red-brown”). The Sahara Desert is located in the northern part of the African continent and occupies almost a third of its entire territory - more than 9 million square meters. kilometers. The western outskirts of this geographical giant are washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and the eastern ones by the waters of the Red Sea.
According to scientists, this part became a desert in its current form from a geographical point of view quite recently - only about four thousand years ago. Before this, a significant area of it was characterized by a favorable climate and fertile soils, thanks to which many ancient civilizations existed in this territory, leaving their descendants with a rich historical and cultural heritage. The most famous of these is Ancient Egypt.
What caused the emergence of the Sahara
The opinions of climatologists, geographers and geophysicists on this matter are ambiguous. Some people “blame” this on the change in the angle of the earth’s axis, while others blame it on the active and reckless “development” activities of representatives of the above-mentioned civilizations.
When many people hear the word “Sahara,” they think of barren and deserted expanses of sandy waves, above which mirages appear from time to time in the hot air—almost everyone has heard about this phenomenon, although few have actually seen them. However, sands make up only about 25% of the Sahara's area; the rest of the space is occupied by rocks and mountains of volcanic origin.
In territorial terms, the Sahara is a conglomerate of deserts that differ greatly in soil characteristics. These include:
- Western Sahara, which combines both lowlands and mountain plains.
- Ahaggar Highlands, located in the south. Its highest point is Mount Takhat (2918 m above sea level). In winter, you can even see snow on its top.
- The Tibesti Plateau is the central part of the Sahara Desert. It covers the south and northern part. Above it rises the Emmi-Kusi volcano, whose height is about three and a half kilometers. Here, winter snowfalls are a fairly systematic phenomenon.
- Tenere is a sandy “sea” that occupies the northern and western part of Chad. Its area is approximately 400 sq. km.
- The Libyan desert is the “pole of heat” in the Sahara.
Climate of the Sahara
The climate and temperature regime of most of the Sahara can hardly be considered favorable. Its characteristics depend on which of the two zones - subtropical or tropical - we are talking about. In the first (northern) summer period is characterized by extremely high temperatures (+58ºС), while winters are not African-like cold (in the mountains frosts reach –18ºС). Southern tropical winters can be called such only conditionally.
The lowest temperature this time of year here is +10ºС. In the mountains there is little rain, but it is quite regular. And in the lowlands of the Sahara, near the Atlantic coast, thunderstorms and fogs occur. The difference between day and night temperatures in the Sahara reaches up to twenty degrees: from +35ºС during the day to +15ºС at night.
The winds blowing over the Sahara have a great influence on climatic factors. The movement of air masses usually goes from north to east. The penetration of moist air deep into the Sahara is prevented by the Atlas mountain range.
Water sources
The main sources of water in the Sahara Desert are the Nile River (in the eastern part), the Niger River (in the southwest) and Lake Chad (in the south).
After rare but powerful downpours, streams of rainwater - wadis - appear in the mountains of the Sahara. They dry out quickly, but some of them, flowing down, accumulate and are stored under a layer of sand. It is thanks to such hidden water “lenses” that oases are formed in the desert.
Also, the water resources of the Sahara include relict lakes - the remains of the seas that occupied this territory millions of years ago. Most of them are more like salt marshes, but there are also freshwater ones.
Flora and fauna of the Sahara Desert
Considering the above factors, it is not surprising that the flora and fauna of the desert is quite poor. All types of plants belong to drought-resistant forms and are concentrated in those places where there is at least sometimes water. Animals of the Sahara also live there - mostly snakes and lizards, but there are also representatives of mammals: hyena, fox, mongoose.
Sahara Desert- the largest desert in the world, which covers an area of almost 10 million square kilometers and occupies almost a third of the entire territory of the continent. The desert territory affects 10 neighboring African states. The Sahara is the hottest and driest place on the planet. The temperature here rarely drops below 30 degrees. Rain is extremely rare here. But powerful storms, raising whirlwinds of sand to a height of 1 kilometer are not uncommon here.
The most ancient information about the desert dates back to the beginning of our era. Residents of countries neighboring the desert often call the desert an endless sea of sand. Here you can only find sun-scorched dark sand, clay and stone. All that can be found here except sandy expanses is a handful of oases and a single river.
The Sahara is an endless sea of sand.
Sahara (Sahra) translated from Arabic means a brown, monotonous, empty plain. When pronouncing the name of the desert out loud several times, a slight wheezing is felt, which intensifies with each new time of continuous pronunciation. Perhaps in this way the Arabs wanted to show that the further a person goes into the desert and the longer he wanders through it, the stronger the wheezing of an exhausted person who is subject to the sizzling heat and becomes exhausted without water and moist air can be heard. We pronounce the word “Sahara” somewhat softer than the Africans, but the menacing charm of the desert atmosphere is still felt in it.
It is difficult to refute the fact that the Sahara is the hottest place on the planet. Here the air temperature annually reaches over 55 degrees, and once a maximum of 73 degrees was recorded.
But you are probably interested in knowing what the average Russian or European feels when visiting the Sahara. We invite you to read the words of one tourist who spent 3 days in the desert:
"Morning. The huge scorching sun rises over the horizon and heats up the sand in a few minutes. After a few more minutes it is impossible to stand on it barefoot, your legs burn very badly. The air is incredibly dry and hot, your lips burn; as soon as you lick them, they immediately begin to dry out and crack. It is worth mentioning the proverb that says that in the Sahara the wind rises with the sun and subsides with it. Indeed, in the daytime the wind can get very violent and bring strong sandstorms, which are extremely difficult for an ordinary person to survive without special devices. At night, the unbearable heat subsides, and the wind blows a very noticeable coolness. Even stones and stone structures can hardly withstand such changes. Here they burst, making a barely audible crack. Because of this nuance with the stones, they were even given the name “Shooting”, and among the local population there is a saying that even the stones scream from the heat in the sugar.”
However, Sahara cannot be called deserted either. Here you can often find nomadic Tuaregs, especially in uninhabited areas. Local residents nicknamed them blue ghosts, since their main attribute is a blue blanket that completely covers their face, leaving only a thin strip in the eye area to see the path they are following. It is customary to give such headbands-covers at the age of 18 to young men who have become men. From this moment on, he can put on the bandage at any time, however, once the accessory is on his face, he cannot remove it until his death. It is only allowed to move the mask to the level of the nose when eating.
Where is the desert located?
The endless desert is easy to find by looking at the area between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. In a north-south direction it spreads across the entire territory from the foot of the Atlas to Lake Chad, along the savannah zone. The territory of the desert is indicated differently in different sources and is within the range of 7-10 thousand square kilometers.
Weather.
The desert climate is expected, but let's look at it in more detail. The climate of the Sahara Desert is classified as extra-arid. Dry weather with tropical hot days prevails here. High humidity with rainfall more than 1-2 times a year can be noticed only in the northern part. This fact explains that the main part of the desert is influenced by the northeast trade wind, which “walks” through it throughout the whole year.
The northern Atlas mountain range, which stretches across almost the entire territory of the African continent, actively influences the climatic conditions of the desert. He prevents the clouds from penetrating the desert. It rains regularly in the southern part of the Sahara, but it dries out and does not reach the central parts of the desert.
A very high coefficient of air dryness and excessively active evaporation prevent rain from falling normally on the ground in any corner of the desert. Although, the Sahara is still divided into three zones based on the amount of precipitation:
- South (precipitation occurs periodically, but very scanty);
- Central (no precipitation, except 1-2 times a year);
- Northern (there is practically no precipitation, as the clouds linger in the mountains).
The direction of the desert from west to east also has its own characteristics. Near the Atlantic Ocean you can occasionally encounter fog, but you should not expect rain either, since the Canary Current cools the westerly wind.
Air humidity - 30-40%. On the Desert Edges, rates may be slightly higher. Active evaporation of precipitation (6000 millimeters per year) already says a lot about the desert itself. In narrow coastal strips, precipitation is slightly higher and evaporation can drop up to 2500 millimeters. The Earth receives only 50-200 millimeters of precipitation per year. There are also areas where not a single drop of rain has been observed for the past hundred years.
The desert comes to life only during the period of heavy rains. At this time, rapid flows of water lead to flooding of all neighboring villages. Only then does the desert truly come to life. Unfortunately, these facts are very rare. The desert has little rainfall, but it is overflowing with groundwater, which is actively used by residents of many African villages.
Due to large temperature differences between daytime and nighttime, dew falls are typical for most areas of the Sahara. But snowfall was recorded on Ahaggar and Tibesti several years ago.
The critical temperature in summer can reach 70 degrees, however, weather forecasters say that the maximum summer temperature constantly fluctuates around 57 degrees. The average annual temperature in the Sahara is 37 degrees. Minimum temperatures in the mountains can reach sub-zero temperatures, but with severe January cold, the average temperature throughout the desert is in the range of 15-17 degrees.
Sandstorms can be encountered here almost every day, as well as prolonged strong winds. Sometimes severe storms can drag on for several days. The wind speed in these cases can be over 50 meters per second, which is almost twice as strong as a hurricane. Caravan leaders and Bedouins often talk about how camel saddles can fly 200 meters away, and fist-sized stones calmly roll on the ground like peas.
Strong winds are often accompanied by sandy dust. Visibility becomes zero, looking at the sun feels like an eclipse, and the wild animals of the Sahara Desert become completely disorientated.
The Sahara is a place of eternal sands and hurricanes that can carry dust and sand to Europe and the Atlantic Ocean.
Sahara - cities walled up with sand
According to historians, the Sahara was not always a dry and lifeless land. During the Paleolithic period, which dates back 10,000 years, there was a more humid climate here and instead of endless sands there were savannas and steppes. The local population was engaged in farming, hunting, fishing, and cattle breeding. As confirmation of these words, there are many rock paintings in all corners of the desert.
Since then, many large cities and villages of what is now the Sahara have been buried under sand. Archaeologists are still finding elements of houses and various structures under a large thickness of sand.
Boston scientists claim that in the west of Sudan, in what is now a desert, there used to be a huge lake similar to Lake Baikal. According to them, the lake was located at a level of 570 meters. Scientists believe that several rivers took their sources from this reservoir. Now, like many villages, the lake is hidden under a layer of sand.
The age of the buried lake is very difficult to determine, but in the old days it was regularly replenished by heavy rains.
The drought in what is now the Sahara began 5,000 years ago. At first, the scorching sun here caused the grass to dry out, and the water gradually evaporated and was absorbed into the ground to replenish it. Herbivores instinctively began to run away to places of better feeding. Following them, predatory groups of animals from the Sahara Desert followed. Most of the animal species from those times are still preserved. They found refuge in Central Africa, where they live today.
The last to leave the territory, which was already unsuitable for existence, were people. Only a few decided to stay, claiming that this was their home. Centuries later they began to be called nomads or Tuaregs.
The only place that now resembles the former valley on the site of the Sahara is a plateau of many rivers. This is exactly how life once flourished here.
Sahara - a vast sandy plateau pierced by a river
The Sahara is far from being one huge desert, as we used to think. For Africans, Sahara is a generalized name for a huge number of small areas that are connected by the relief space and climate characteristics of the Sahara Desert. The eastern part of the Sahara is called the Libyan Desert, the void from the right bank of the Nile to the Red Sea is the Arabian Desert. To the south of Arabian is Nubian. In addition to the above-mentioned Sahara deserts, there are many small ones that we will not mention. Most of them are separated by mountain ranges and massifs.
The Sahara territory has several high mountains, up to 3.5 kilometers high, and the dried-out crater of the Emi-Koussi volcano. Its diameter is 12 kilometers. But most of the territory is occupied by sand dunes and depressions, occasionally decorated with salt marshes and oases. Don't forget about the dry depressions, one of which is located in the Libyan Desert. Its bottom is 150 meters below ocean level.
All these elements perfectly complement the desert. When viewed from above, an unimaginable horizon opens up, which causes great delight.
But in general, the Sahara is a huge plateau, which is broken only by the depressions of the Nile valleys and Lake Chad. Mountain ranges are found in only three places; the rest of the territory is a once-existing plain covered with sand.
Plants of the Sahara Desert
The northern part of the desert is much richer in flora than the southern part and is categorically different in plant species. The northern part is more characterized by Mediterranean flora. The southern part of the Sahara has rare patches of paleotropical flora.
Most of the plants here belong to the endemic genus of plants, which, in turn, belong to the red-flowered, asteraceae and goosefoot families. In drier and extra-arid areas, vegetation is very sparse.
Southwest Libya is rich in only nine Sahara Desert plants that can exist in European countries. If you drive along the southernmost border of the Libyan Desert, you may not see a single plant. But in Central Sahara the diversity of flora is wider than in other regions. A wide variety of vegetation is achieved here only due to the two desert highlands of Ahaggat and Tibesti. Ficus willow and fern grow near the Tibetsi highlands, next to reservoirs. The territory of Ahaggat is rich in relict specimens of Mediterranean cypress.
After light rains, ephemerals sprout in the desert. You can often find cereal-shrub formations, acacia-shaped tiers, low-growing randonia and cornulberry. In the northern zone you can find jujube.
The far west of the desert is rich in large succulent plants. Here you can quite often find cactus euphorbia, sumac, wolfberry, and acacia. The Atlantic coast is covered with Afghan trees. The mountain ranges are dominated by cereal plants of the Sahara desert, feather grass, mallow, ragwort, bromegrass, etc.
Throughout the desert you can find date palms that grow near rivers and oases.
Animals of the Sahara Desert
The desert fauna is very rich, in contrast to the flora. More than 500 species representatives of different groups live here, including:
- About 70 species of mammals;
- More than 300 representatives of beetles;
- More than 200 representatives of birds and winged animals;
- Approximately 80 species of ants.
Touching upon species endemism, it is worth noting that in some groups it can reach 70%, for example, in insects. There are no endemics among birds, and only 40% among mammals.
Among mammals, the most common are rodents. In particular, the families of squirrels, jerboas, hamsters and mice are common. Large ungulates are only partly distributed in the Sahara. The harsh conditions of survival in the desert do not allow them to exist here normally. Moreover, the population of nearby countries actively catches them for their needs.
There are a lot of antelopes living in the Sahara. The largest antelope is the Arix. Maned sheep can be found on the plateaus and coasts.
From the class of predators we can distinguish striped jackals, of which there are a lot here, Egyptian mongooses, miniature foxes and velvet cats.
Birds in the Sahara are very rare. Grouse, larks, desert sparrows are regulars in the desert. Less commonly you can see the desert raven, eagle owl, and sandpiper. Representatives of lizard-like and serpentine species have adapted very well to sugar.
The camel has long been and still is the most important symbol of the Sahara Desert.
Mirages - the most mysterious phenomenon of the Sahara
It is a rare inhabitant of planet earth who dares to travel across the Sahara. Along the way through the sandy expanses, you may encounter mirages more than once. It is worth noting that they always appear in the same places. Some desert travelers even managed to draw up a map of the appearance of mirages. Now mirage maps contain about 160 thousand marks of their location. Maps contain a detailed description of what is seen at these points: oases, wells, mountain ranges, groves, etc.
The sunset in desert lands looks no less beautiful. The sky, adorned by the rays of the setting sun, creates a new harmony of shades of blue, red and pink every day. All this beauty gathers on the horizon in several layers, sparkles, burns and changes in shape, gradually fading away. After a couple of minutes, a gloomy night sets in, in which the brightest stars are barely visible.
Now a trip to the Sahara is available to anyone. If you leave Algeria, you can get to the Sahara on a good road in one day. Along the way you can see the stunning El Qantara Gorge. The gorge received this name because it connects the populated area and the desert. From the African dialect it is translated as Gateway to the Sahara. The road here runs through a clayey and rocky plain, as well as small rocks. When viewed from afar, the rocks resemble a fortress or a tower.
Güell Er Richat - The largest structure in the world
The facility is located in the Sahara region of Mauritania. Its diameter is almost 50 kilometers. According to ancient legends, this ring was formed more than one and a half billion years ago. No one knows the reasons for the appearance of the structure, but some scientists believe that Guel Er Richat arose as a result of the fall of a meteorite. Today, teams of researchers continue to study this piece from space and cannot explain how its perfectly even shape was preserved.
The company website offers you excursions to the Sahara. These are short-term trips of 3-4 days to sweltering desert regions. You will be able to ride camels with the overseer. The most daring travelers and extreme sports enthusiasts can traverse the entire desert. Before you do something so crazy, consult your doctor.