The Sahara Desert is one of the world’s largest deserts located in the African hemisphere of the globe. The Sahara, which is Arabic for Desert, is between the Mediterranean from the North and the Red Sea from the East.
There are many misunderstandings about the Sahara Desert. For example, the Sahara Desert is usually hot and is historic for having the highest temperature in the world of 136 degrees in 1993, however it is not always hot. Between December and February, the temperature in the desert can go below freezing at night.
Although the Sahara is a very large place, it isn’t the largest desert in the wor
ld. The largest desert is Antarctica. However, it is still counted amongst the world’s largest desert areas and continues to grow every day. The Sahara Desert covers about 3.8 million square miles, which is 8% of the world’s surface area and includes eleven countries: Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Mali, Mauritania, Sudan and Mali. Even though the Sahara is spread across so many countries, only 2 million people call it home.
Many people see the Sahara Desert as a dry sandy place where not much grows, however many years ago the Sahara Desert was a fertile farmland with many people living there. Even though today, it is much drier, there are still several areas of oasis land which is fertile and productive.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Sahara desert was named by the Arab conquerors of North Africa in the 7th century AD. They called it al-sahara, meaning “the desert”.
There is no definitive answer to this question as the depth of sand in the Sahara desert can vary depending on the location and on the time of year. However, it is estimated that the average depth of sand in the Sahara desert is around 16 feet (5 meters).
The Sahara desert is also home to a number of large sand dunes, known as ergs. The tallest erg in the Sahara is called Erg Chebbi, and it reaches a height of 150 metres (490 feet).
It’s difficult to know for certain whether or not the Sahara was once green, but some research suggests that it may have been. The Sahara desert is located in the tropics, which means that it experiences summer weather year-round. However, the Sahara is also quite large, and its climate can vary significantly from one region to another.
In the northern Sahara, temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) during the summer months. This extreme heat makes it virtually impossible for any plants or trees to grow. However, in the southern Sahara, winter temperatures can sometimes drop below freezing point. So it’s certainly possible that there were once green areas within the Sahara desert.
The Sahara desert is estimated to be about 4.6 million years old. It was formed from the merger of two older deserts, the Gaetulian and the Libya Deserts.
The Sahara desert occupies a large area in northern Africa, spanning over 3 million square miles. It is one of the world’s largest and hottest deserts, with average temperatures reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The desert is also home to some of the most extreme weather conditions, including dust storms, sandstorms, and flash floods.
- The Sahara desert is the largest hot desert in the world, and the third largest desert overall, after the Antarctic and Artic Polar deserts.
- The Sahara desert is home to some of the harshest weather conditions on earth, with temperatures that can reach up to 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius) during the day.
- Despite its hostile environment, the Sahara desert is home to a wide variety of animal life. One of the most famous creatures that call the Sahara home is the camel and African Lions can also be found in the south Sahara desert
- It’s also home to some amazing plants, like cacti and date palms.
- The Sahara desert has a long and storied history and has been inhabited by humans for centuries. Some of the most famous civilizations to have emerged from the Sahara include Ancient Egypt and Carthage.
