The Great Desert: Sahara

Explained: Sahara Desert

The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world; and the third-largest desert behind Antarctica and the Arctic, which are both cold deserts. It is located between 20⁰ and 30⁰ latitudes, north, and south of the equator. Its east-west extent is about 5500 kms; north-south extent is about 1900 kms. The Sahara has one of the harshest environments on the earth, covering 9.4 million square kms. The name of the desert comes from the Arabic word sahrā, which means ‘desert’.

History

This the great desert was born some seven million years ago, as remnants of a vast sea called Tethys closed up. Long ago, the Sahara was a fertile region with thick forests. Over thousands of years, the forces of nature and various human activities have converted this region into a barren wasteland.

Geography

The Sahara covers a large part of Africa continent. It extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the west up to the Red Sea in the east. It covers an area of about 9.4 million square kilometers. Its east-west extent is about 5500 kilometers and north-south extent is about 1900 kilometers. The eleven countries of Africa are located in the Sahara desert, these are Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and West Sahara. Most of the Sahara desert is undeveloped and features a varied topography. Most of its landscape has been shaped over time by wind and includes sand dunes, sand seas called ergs, barren stone plateaus, gravel plains, dry valleys, and salt flats. There are also several mountain ranges within the Sahara and many are volcanic.

Most of the water found in this desert today is in the form of seasonal or intermittent streams. The only permanent river here is the ‘Nile River’ that flows from central Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.

Climate

The climate of the Sahara desert has one of the world’s most severe climates with scorching hot and porch dry. Typically, the Sahara landscape experiences extremely limited to virtually no rainfall, powerful winds, and wide temperature ranges. The average temperature during the summer months is between 38⁰C and 46⁰C. In winter, the freezing temperatures may occur in the northern Sahara, and milder temperatures, across the southern Sahara. Snow may fall occasionally in some of the higher mountain ranges and rarely, on the desert floor. The sand dunes of the desert are big that they reach heights of 600 feet.

Vegetation & Wildlife

The climate conditions do not support the growth of plants. However, plants that have long roots and waxy & leathery leaves can grow. The main plant species include cactus, date palms and acacia. We can find an oasis in some places. Some of the animals that live in the Sahara desert include hyenas, camels, foxes, snakes, scorpions, and lizards.

People & their occupation

According to estimates, the Sahara’s entire population probably equals less than two million people, including those who live in permanent communities near water sources, those who move from place to place with seasons, and those who follow the ancient trade routes as permanent nomads.

Historically, people who thrived in the Sahara desert nomads who used camel to travel to the more life-sustaining parts of the desert and to the center of commerce in order to trade goods. Nothing much has changed, because according to worldwildlife.org, Sahara’s inhabitants, specifically the predominant Moors, Tuareg and Tibbu, are still nomadic pastoralists, as well as tradesmen. They trade clothes, livestock and animal products like skin, cheese and butter. They are also hunters who hunt desert mammals like fox, antelope and wild sheep for food and they also hunt large birds that live in the desert.

A few inhabitants can be found in nearby oases, whose livelihood includes farming of dates and other plants. In fact, the fishing industry, which hauls octopus and squids in these areas, is worth a million dollars.

Related Questions:

• What is Sahara Desert in detail?
• What is Sahara Desert Class 7?

Credits: Sonali; Tahsin; Tasnim; Niharika; Sunny & Ujjawal

Source: Secondary data (websites and academic books)