The Sahara Desert

The Sahara Desert

• The Sahara Desert in Africa is the world's second-largest desert.

• It occupies the area of 9 million squares km, covering 30 % of Africa and is divided between many countries.

• Depending on the season you can notice a river bed `with small pools and several water sources big enough to bath in.

• The name 'Sahara' is derived from a dialectal Arabic word for "desert".

• The landscapes of Sahara insists on Plateaus, High Lands, Valleys, dunes having the shades of red and brown color.

• These sand massive are so extensive that they have special names in Arabics called 'Dune Sea or Erg'.

• The largest ergs are located in Northern Algeria. The sand ridges of round, star-like, transverse, crescent, and pyramidal shapes can be met here.

• The plateaus, arches, unusual rocks, and volcanic formations that resemble statues, a huge number of ancient petroglyphs ( dated 6,000 years BC ), and a great number of various dunes of different colors ranging from light-yellow and red-brown to black are among the sights of the Sahara Desert.

• The average height of the dunes is from 150 meters but there are some dunes that are 300 meters high, as well.