Sable du Sahara - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. The Sahara Desert, located in North Africa, is the largest hot desert in the world, covering an area of approximately 3.6 million square miles.
- 2. The sand dunes in the Sahara Desert can reach heights of up to 180 meters, making them some of the tallest in the world.
- 3. The sand in the Sahara Desert is not only composed of quartz grains, but also contains feldspar, gypsum, and other minerals, giving it a distinctive reddish hue in some areas.
- 4. The wind in the Sahara Desert can reach speeds of up to 90 miles per hour, causing sandstorms that can last for days and affect visibility for hundreds of miles.
- 5. Despite its harsh climate, the Sahara Desert is home to a variety of plant and animal species, including the iconic dromedary camel, desert fox, and date palm tree.
- 6. The Sahara Desert is not completely devoid of water, as there are scattered oases throughout the region where groundwater comes to the surface, providing a vital source of water for wildlife and human inhabitants.
- 7. The Tuareg people, also known as the "blue men of the desert" due to their traditional indigo clothing, are a nomadic Berber tribe that has inhabited the Sahara Desert for centuries.
- 8. The Sahara Desert has a rich history, with ancient rock art and archaeological sites dating back thousands of years, including the famous rock engravings at Tassili n'Ajjer in Algeria.
- 9. The Sahara Desert experiences extreme temperature variations, with daytime temperatures reaching over 120°F and dropping to near freezing at night.
- 10. Climate change and desertification are major threats to the Sahara Desert, as increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall are causing the desert to expand at an alarming rate, displacing both wildlife and human populations.