Desert Sahara: secrets, riddles, facts. The dunes of the Sahara Desert take on a bluish-gray hue at sunset. Sahara desert in Algeria

Romantic, hot and limitless, this desert has always captivated the hearts of people. She tends to be beautiful and captivating and at the same time terrible and dangerous, so she will always be of great interest. This is the real miracle of nature, which hides many secrets and mysteries in its sands. So let's find out in more detail the most interesting facts about this wonderful place.

It is amazing how people, animals and plants could adapt so well to such conditions, sultry heat, which is simply crazy, sandstorms, night cold, and lack of water.

Surely many people know that this is the most big desert on the ground. It is located in northern Africa, and occupies 30% of its total area that can almost be compared with the entire territory of the United States. The total area of the desert is 8.6 million km. The length of the desert from west to east is 4900 km, from north to south to 900-1300 km. In the west, the Sahara is in contact with the Atlas Mountains and is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, in the east it is the Red Sea, in the south is the Sahel.

The desert extends through countries such as: Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Chad, Mauritania and others, in total 13 countries.

The locals call this place the "Sea without water", since earlier this place was located huge lake and many rainforest, and all this is due to the fact that the Sahara desert is rocky, so many underground rivers pass under the sand, which go out to form an oasis. And such here underground rivers, comparable in area to Lake Baikal, for the most part they are used for irrigation, such systems were known back in Ancient Egypt. They deliberately dug out canals, perpendicular to the river, some of which converged into one reservoir, and only then distributed on the soil.

But even now, in the middle of the desert, you can find oases that are surrounded by unique vegetation, and people settle here, building entire settlements and even cities. But year after year, such places are becoming less and less.

Even despite the fact that there is actually no water here, they live here over 3 million people. Most of them, of course, lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving from one place to another, usually near the Nile and Niger rivers, where at least some plants are present. Mostly Tuareg and Berbers live here.

This place for us is primarily sands and dunes. But what is most interesting is that the sands make up only a fifth of the entire area, the thickness of the sands is almost 160 meters. The sands are constantly swept into dunes, thereby forming dunes that can reach a height of up to 180 meters, and this is actually the height of the Eiffel Tower.

There is so much sand in the Sahara that all the people who live on Earth would have to scoop sand with the help of ordinary wind, then more than 3 million buckets would have to be moved.

Most of the desert is occupied by mountain peaks, although it’s hard to call them peaks, it’s about 70%, the rest falls on pebbly wastelands, where nothing can grow at all, because it’s rocky soil and even salt marshes.

Previously, it was assumed that the Sahara arose several million years ago, but the latest findings of scientists indicate the opposite and its age is only 2.7 thousand years.

As for the temperature, it's just a real hell here, average temperature air ranges from 55 to 60 degrees Celsius, in winter the temperature drops to 30 and below, which is quite typical for a change in time. We have such a temperature in the summer, and they have in the winter.

The climate here is completely focused on northeast trade wind, so there are often sandstorms that can reach the territory of Europe. In the north, the climate is dry subtropical, in the south, tropical and also dry.

Back in the last century, they created here huge reservoir under the name, due to the spill of one nearby lake.

Rain in the Sahara is a real holiday, but this is not enough, because raindrops do not even have time to irrigate the ground and evaporate before reaching the ground. Here, evaporation is several times higher than precipitation, and that's all, because no more than 20 millimeters of precipitation falls here.

But even so, it may not rain for several years, and then at one fine moment there will be a brutal downpour that will last for several days. Once, more precisely in 1879 and 2013, snow fell on the territory of Algeria.

One of the truly unique and mysterious anomalies of this place - mirages, almost everyone who wandered around the Sahara observed unexpected oases with a reservoir and plants, visually it seemed from 2-3 kilometers from the observer. All this is due to the refraction of the flow of light on the verge between layers of air of different density and temperature.

In total, more than 150 thousand mirages were seen in sugar, and special maps were even created where places where such anomalies were observed were plotted.

And finally, let's talk about the animal world, in total there are almost 4000 different kinds of animals. Such as camels, which can go without water for two weeks and, without food, for up to a month at all, but at a time they can drink almost 80 liters of water.

This is the smallest representative of the cat family, only 50 to 80 cm in length, and then half the length is the tail.

Which is able to do without food for 2 months.

Tiny fox.

Very fast and hardy animals that can do without water for a long time, but now this species is threatened with complete extinction.

Well, the vegetation here has no more than 1200 species, almost all of them are xerophytes and ephemera. In particular, rocky areas seem completely lifeless, but even here the plants manage to adapt to such a harsh environment.

The Jericho rose looks like the branches of the plant are fingers that squeeze the seeds, when it rains the branches straighten and the seeds fall out and the raw bud, where they immediately take root.

In fact, for any plants in this desert, one drop of water is enough to sprout.

The Great Sahara Desert is located in North Africa and partially or completely covers the territory of almost eleven countries. This largest desert in the world covers an area of more than 9,000,000 square meters. km, comparable to the area of the United States. It stretches 1600 km wide and about 5000 km long from east to west. It is said 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 Antaktida) and the largest hot desert on the planet.

It covers almost all parts of North Africa. Stretches from the Red Sea, including sections mediterranean coast, to the edge Atlantic Ocean. IN southern region its border is the semi-arid savannah region of the Sahel (Sahel), which separates 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 territory of 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 - tropical.

The relief is quite diverse, but in general it is a plateau lying at an altitude of 400-500 m above sea level. There are underground rivers that sometimes flow to the surface, forming oases. Vegetation develops well in such natural oases. The soil of such regions of the Sahara is very fertile, so where irrigation is possible, an excellent crop grows.

Part of the desert is occupied 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 the northwest to the southeast. Its height varies from 600 to 750 m, some peaks reach the level of 1800 m and even 3400 m. high points- Emi Koussi peaks with a height of 3415 m, Tahat - 3003 m, the Tibetsi massif and the Ahaggar highlands.

It may seem strange, but in winter time on mountain peaks ah lie the snow caps. In the eastern part of the Sahara - the Libyan desert - the climate is the driest, so there are very few oases. In this part, sandy areas with large dunes are concentrated, the height of which reaches 122 meters or more.

The climate of the Sahara Desert is very hot and dry. During the day it is very hot here, and at night it is cool.

The Sahara receives only 20 cm of precipitation per year. It is for this reason that a very small number of people live here, only 2 million people.

Previously, the desert was a fertile land where elephants, giraffes and other animals grazed. Gradually, it became more and more arid, and the fertile landscape turned into the barren region as we know it today.

The central part of the Sahara is exceptionally dry, with little or no vegetation. In places where moisture accumulates, meadows, 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 current borders.

Climatic conditions here are considered the most severe in the world. The prevailing northeasterly winds often cause sandstorms and dust devils micro-tornadoes.

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, the Central Ahaggar Highlands, the Tibesti Mountains, the Aïr Mountains (a region of desert mountains and high plateaus), the Tenere Desert and the Libyan Desert (the driest region).

Valley of the Nile and mountainous areas The Nubian Desert east of the Nile are geographically part of the Sahara Desert. However, the waters of the Nile turned this territory of Egypt from a barren desert into a fertile agricultural area.

Approximately one third of the hottest continent of our planet is occupied by the sandy and rocky region of the Sahara. A desert that has no equal on Earth in terms of size and other important geographical features, strikes the imagination. Let's find out the length of the Sahara, at the same time we will make an exciting virtual tour. Exploring the desert is useful for those who want to go on a real trip, planning a tourist or business trip to North Africa. We invite those who are interested in unusual geographic features, amazing natural phenomena.

What is the extent of the world's greatest desert?

The Sahara is located in northern Africa, between the parallels 16° and 32° N. sh. (approximately). Lies in the Western and Eastern hemispheres, extending from the meridian 15 ° W. up to 40 ° in. e. The distance from west to east is about 4800 km. This is the largest desert in the world. Don't believe? Go ahead! In the widest part, the length of the Sahara desert from north to south reaches 1200 km. shortest distance from the foothills of the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean coast in the north to semi-deserts and savannahs in the south - 800 km.

Why do sources give different data on the area of the Sahara?

In the West, where the Sahara desert approaches the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, the cold Canary Current passes. As a result, dry and cold air exacerbating the situation in the center of the mainland. In the east, the coast of North Africa is washed by the waters of the Red Sea, which separates two continents and two vast areas - the Libyan and Arabian deserts. In the south, the boundary parallel is considered to be 16 ° N. sh., from it further to the equator lies a transitional region between the desert and the expanses of the savannah with light forests.

The total area of the Sahara Desert, a vast physical-geographical desert region, is approximately 8.6 million km2. Its borders are annually shifted to the north and south. The sands are advancing, this phenomenon is explained by their mobility, the aridization of the climate of the mainland and the entire planet, environmental issues existing on the African continent.

Is the Sahara a special desert? Or "like everyone else"?

If you look at the map, it is easy to determine that there are desert regions on five continents, in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. They belong to the tropical zone of illumination. This area gets the maximum solar radiation, and a meager amount of precipitation falls. Another important feature that you should pay attention to is that the deserts of the world are located in drainless regions, where rivers dry up, not bringing their waters to the seas and oceans.

Many people who have not visited North Africa believe that the endless sand dunes and dunes are the desert. These views also apply to the Sahara, but its vast territory is striking in its variety of surfaces. present here and common features similar regions - lifeless sands and stones, arid climate, with high air temperatures, sparse vegetation and poor wildlife.

Land of geographical paradoxes

Dry areas in North Africa constantly surprise explorers and travelers. For all sandy areas with a hot climate, the apt characteristic "country of geographical paradoxes" was fixed. Scientists do not have time to explain alone unusual phenomena, occurring in the deserts, as others appear, and with enviable constancy. The largest and most paradoxical region is the Sahara, a desert, where the daily amplitude of air temperature reaches 40 °C.

More more difference day and night soil temperatures. According to some reports, it ranges from 60 to 70 ° C. In such conditions, even the stones "groan". Solid rocks hot during the day and very cold at night. As a result, the destruction of minerals begins, a crackling sound is heard, which the locals call "weeping", "groans" and "songs" of the stony desert. The temperature difference, physical and chemical weathering caused the formation of large stones, mountain peaks of unusual shape and the smallest grains of sand.

As scientists suggest, the Sahara was not always a desert, as evidenced by the numerous dried up riverbeds. The confluence of unfavorable physical and geographical factors over the course of many millennia has changed the appearance of the once picturesque territory.

The face of the Sahara

Plains resembling a sandy sea predominate in the south, in Tener, as well as in regions called "ergs" (Great East Erg, Big West Erg). Tanezruft - lifeless stones and sands in Algeria and Mali. The elevated plateau of Hamada el-Hamra in Libya is crossed by dry beds of disappeared rivers - wadis.

As you move north, towards the Mediterranean Sea, and northwest, towards the Atlantic Ocean, the height above sea level increases, and the desert itself becomes more and more diverse. Sahara "sultry landscapes" are changing: in the territory of Tunisia, Algeria and Mauritania there are oases, palm trees, cereals and shrubs grow, in spring ephemeroids (bulbous plants) bloom on the sands with a bright carpet.

Located in the eastern part of North Africa, the Nubian Desert, when moving east, passes into the Arabian Desert, which is located on the peninsula of the same name on the Eurasian continent. The Libyan Desert is confined to the trough of the African Platform. The surface of this region also looks heterogeneous. The landscape is diversified by depressions, rocky plateaus and remnant mountain ranges. Thus, the Sahara is a desert with a different "look".

Land of the dazzling sun

The type of climate in North Africa, where the Sahara desert is located, is tropical desert. It is characterized by cloudless skies and significant total solar radiation. In the Sahara, the average values are in the range of 7800-8400 MJ/m 2 . The maximum is noted in the east - 9220 MJ / m 2 per year. This is the highest natural insolation in the world. globe, twice as high as those on the equatorial coast of the Gulf of Guinea in Africa. When moving towards the Mediterranean coast, the total solar radiation decreases to 6500 MJ/m 2 , and south of the Sahara is 7120 MJ/m 2 . The absence of precipitation leads to the fact that the sky over these areas is always clear, which also leads to an increase in the level of total radiation. If it rains, then most often the drops evaporate directly into the air.

Is it possible to wait for snow in the Sahara?

Average January temperatures in the desert reach only 10°C. Cooling is associated with the arrival of air masses from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The absolute minimum temperature of -18°C was recorded in the area of the Tibesti highlands. Often, slightly frosty weather occurs in winter on plateaus and plateaus, snowfalls occur in cities on the Mediterranean coast.

Many people remember the numbers characterizing the absolute maximum from school geography lessons. Near the city of Tripoli, the highest temperature on Earth was recorded, which amounted to about +58 ° С. Precipitation in a significant part of the territory of the greatest desert falls less than 50 mm per year, but towards the outskirts this figure increases to 100-200 mm / year.

Great Nile and other rivers

The White and Blue Nile originate far south of the Sahara (desert) latitudes. In small streams, tributaries flow from the mountains in the vicinity of Lake Victoria and on the East African Plateau. At Egyptian city Khartoum White and Blue Nile merge, giving rise to the longest river in the world. The length of the Nile channel from source to delta in the Mediterranean Sea is 6650 km. The river in transit carries its waters through the territory of the Sahara, not accepting other tributaries.

In ancient times, the Egyptians deified the waters of the Nile, not only the rice harvest, but also the life of all ordinary people depended on them. After the construction of the Aswan hydroelectric dam in the second half of the 20th century, the floods of the river became less dangerous for the fields and villages on the banks.

In the southwestern part of the Sahara, the main river is the Niger. Only certain sections of the channel enter the desert territory. The surface of the Sahara is covered with a network of ancient and modern dry streams.

Desert oases - mirage or reality?

Are the picturesque islands of greenery among sand dunes and stones surprising? Where do they get their moisture from? Groundwater feeds these life-giving corners. Due to very poor moisture and high temperatures, the vegetation cover of the Sahara does not form a continuous carpet. Many areas are completely devoid of plants.

The opportunity to engage in agriculture is only in the oases and foothills of the Atlas. The date palm is grown in the Sahara - the "bread" of the desert inhabitants. Citrus fruits, olives, coffee, cereals and vegetables are cultivated in the oases. Animal husbandry is developed on a large territory.

Sahara desert in Tunisia

The groundwater outlet areas are colored with greenery of the Bahariya, Kharga, Siva and other oases. Often they coexist with salt marshes, ancient cities covered with sand. "King of oases" can be called Tunisia - a small state in the northwestern part of the Sahara. One of the truly magical places in the country is Tozeur. This is a city that lives its measured life surrounded by sands. The basis of prosperity is a thousand underground springs that carry moisture to palm groves.

Be sure to visit Tunisia to see the salt lake Chott el-Jerid, 20 km long, the surface of which is hidden under a thick crust of salt. She covers the clay, wet from groundwater. Douz Oasis is one of interesting places for which Tunisia (Sahara Desert) is famous. The excursion, which will start from this village, can be the most exciting adventure for lovers of extreme sports.

Douz - "gate of the desert"

The dunes come close to the village, where a traditional festival dedicated to the Sahara is held annually in December. From here begins the path of camel caravans deep into the desert. Douz has become the starting point for dizzying safaris, whose participants climb the sand dunes. Unsteady dunes up to 180 meters high are encountered along this path. Overcoming them under the scorching rays of the Sahara Sun is a great opportunity to test yourself and your endurance.

A truly endless sea of sand, stone and clay, with only rare green spots of oases and one single river This is the Sahara desert. Its territory is eight million square kilometers. That's bigger than Australia and slightly smaller than Brazil! Five thousand kilometers of heat and sand, from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Red Sea. Origin great desert Sahara holds many secrets and mysteries.

Scientists have conducted computer simulations of the Earth's climate. Research has shown the following:

the desert exists on the site of the ancient Tethys ocean, which existed in the Mesozoic era eleven million years ago (the remnants of this ocean are the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas).
during the Paleolithic period (10-12 thousand years ago), the climate in North Africa was much more humid. The Sahara was not a desert, but a steppe-savannah.
about 5-7 thousand years ago, a drought began, the land of the Sahara was losing moisture more and more, grasses dried up.

Skeleton of a whale in the Sahara Desert

The photo shows the remains of a 15-meter-high beast that died thirty-seven million years ago and sank to the bottom of the ancient Tethys ocean. And in Egypt there is the Valley of the Whales, included in the list " world heritage UNESCO".

There is one important point in the situation with these remains in the desert - the rate of growth of the soil level, on average, according to official studies, is 1-2 mm per year. For 37 million years, several tens of kilometers should have accumulated, and these bones lie on the surface. And not only in the Sahara, there are such remains on the surface of other deserts, in the Gobi (Mongolia), Atacama (Chile). How did they get to the surface - they were probably brought by the same deluge, which happened relatively recently - only 10 thousand ago.

The territory of the Sahara desert is not all covered with sand. But we are presented with the image of this desert: solid sands, dunes with rare rocky massifs.

But there is still a lot of sand - where does it even come from ?! Various versions are being put forward:

The classical one comes from the fact that the sand is from the Tethys Ocean. But it is not clear why there was so much sand at the bottom of the ocean
There is a version that sand is the result of technological processing of rocks. V. Kondratov expresses such a version and connects it with aliens, who for some reason needed it
I found a version, quite plausible, related to the action of the waves of the flood. More details here:

Lesser Known Landscapes of the Sahara Desert

Chad. 16° 52′ 24.00″ N 21° 35′ 31.00″ E

Egyptian desert

All these are remnants of the original surface. They look like islands. The rest of the territory may not have been so solid, the flood carried away the rest of the soil when the waves passed through the continent. The washed away soil is the sands of the Sahara. Soil, rocks, washed by water erosion of the flow grain of sand to grain of sand.

In general, not all of the Sahara is “yellow”. Exists in the eastern part white desert. It is full of bizarre remnants, covered with white sand, which gives it the appearance of the Arctic north, there are also many karst deposits and caves.

Rather, here the waters of the ocean receded gradually, here the organic traces of the ocean were preserved to a greater extent.

The Sahara desert and life in it

The fact that the territory of the Sahara Desert was once inhabited and actively used is also evidenced by the numerous rock paintings found in its different parts. In the years when glaciers raged in the north, the population of the Sahara was engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture, as well as hunting and even fishing.

Somewhere in the middle of the second millennium BC, the outlines of chariots drawn by horses appear on the rocks. The image of a horse on the rocks of the Sahara can be traced back to the 2nd century AD.

Also one of the most common rock art Sahara is an image of mysterious creatures, which many researchers mistake for gods, ancient astronauts or aliens.

Sahara Desert - largest desert world, which covers an area of almost 10 million square kilometers and occupies almost a third of the entire territory of the mainland. The desert area touches 10 neighboring African states. Sahara is the hottest and most dry place planets. Temperature regime here it 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 the countries neighboring the desert often refer to the desert as an endless sea of sand. Here you can find only dark sand, clay and stone scorched by the sun. All that can be found here except for sandy expanses is a handful of oases and a single river.

The Sahara is an endless sea of sand.

Sahara (Sahra) in Arabic means a brown monotonous empty plain. Saying the name of the desert several times aloud, 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 rattle of an emaciated person is heard, who is subject to sizzling heat and becomes weak without water and humid air. In our country, the word "Sahara" is pronounced somewhat softer than among Africans, but the formidable 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 figure of 73 degrees was recorded.

But you are probably interested to know how the average Russian or European feels when visiting the Sahara. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the words of one tourist who spent 3 days in the desert:

"Morning. A huge scorching sun rises below the horizon and heats up the sand in a few minutes. After a few more minutes, it is impossible to stand on him barefoot, his legs burn and are very strong. The air is incredibly dry and hot, it burns your lips, as soon as you lick them, they immediately begin to dry 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, during the daytime, the wind can rage very strongly and bring strong sandstorms, which you can survive ordinary person extremely difficult without special equipment. At night, the unbearable heat subsides, and the wind blows with a very noticeable coolness. Such differences are difficult to tolerate even stones and stone structures. They burst here, making a barely audible crack. Because of this nuance with stones, they were even given the name "Shooters", and among the local population there is a saying that even stones scream from the heat in sugar.

However, deserted sugar also cannot be called. Here you can often meet nomadic Tuareg, especially in uninhabited areas. Local residents called them blue ghosts, since their main attribute is a blue veil that completely covers the face, leaving only a thin strip around the eyes to see the route. It is customary to give such bandages-veils at the age of 18 to young men who have become men. From this moment on, he can put on a bandage at any time, however, when the accessory is on his face, it cannot be removed until 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, focusing on the territory between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. In a north-south direction, it spreads across the entire territory from the foothills of the Atlas to Lake Chad, along the savannah zone. The territory of the desert in different sources indicates different and is within 7-10 thousand square kilometers.

Weather.

The desert climate is expected, but we will deal with it in more detail. The climate of the Sahara desert is classified as extra-arid. Dry weather prevails here with tropical hot days. Increased humidity with rainfall more than 1-2 times a year can be seen only in the northern part. This fact explains that the main part of the desert is affected by the northeast trade wind, which "walks" through it for a whole year.

active influence on climatic conditions The desert is provided by the northern Atlas mountain range, which stretches across almost the entire territory of the African continent. He does not allow the clouds to penetrate the desert. It rains regularly in the southern part of the Sahara, but it dries up and does not reach central parts desert.

A very high coefficient of air dryness and excessively active evaporation prevent rain from falling normally to the ground in any corner of the desert. Although, the Sahara is still divided into three zones according to the amount of precipitation:

South (precipitations periodically fall, but very scarce);
Central (no precipitation, except for 1-2 times a year);
North (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 west wind.

Air humidity - 30-40%. On the outskirts of the desert, the figures may be slightly higher. Active evaporation of precipitation (6000 millimeters per year) already says a lot about the desert itself. On the territory of narrow coastal strips, precipitation is slightly higher and evaporation can fall up to 2500 millimeters. The earth reaches 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 heavy rains. At this time, stormy water flows 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 is overcrowded groundwater, which are actively used by residents of many African villages.

Due to the large temperature differences between day and night, most of the Sahara is characterized by dew. But on Ahaggar and Tibesti, snow was recorded several years ago.

The critical temperature in summer time can reach 70 degrees, however, forecasters say that the maximum summer temperature constantly fluctuates around 57 degrees. The average annual temperature in the Sahara is 37 degrees. The minimum indicators in the mountains can reach sub-zero temperatures, but during severe January colds, the average temperature throughout the desert is in the range of 15-17 degrees.

Sandstorms can be found here almost daily, as well as long strong winds. Sometimes strong storms can drag on for several days. The wind speed in these cases can be over 50 meters per second, which is almost twice stronger than a hurricane. Caravaners and Bedouins often talk about how saddles with a camel can fly 200 meters away, and stones the size of a fist calmly roll on the ground like a pea.

Strong winds are often accompanied by sandy dust. Visibility becomes zero, looking at the sun is like an eclipse, and the wild animals of the Sahara desert completely lose their bearings.

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 has not always been a dry and lifeless land. During the Paleolithic period, which falls on the period of 10,000 years ago, there was a more humid climate and instead of endless sands there were savannahs and steppes. Local population engaged in agriculture, hunting, fishing, cattle breeding. As confirmation of these words, there are many rock paintings in all corners of the desert.

Since then, many big cities and the villages of the present Sahara were buried under the sand. Archaeologists still find elements of houses and various structures under a large thickness of sand.

Boston scientists claim that in the west of Sudan, in the place where the desert is now, there used to be a huge lake similar to Baikal. According to them, there was a lake 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.

It is very difficult to determine the age of the buried lake, but in the old days it was regularly replenished from heavy rains.

The drought in what is now the Sahara began 5,000 years ago. At first, the grass dried up here because of the scorching sun, the waters gradually evaporated and soaked into the ground for recharge. Herbivores instinctively began to run away to better feeding places. They were followed by predatory groups of animals of the Sahara desert. Most of the animal species of those times are still preserved. They found shelter 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 Tuareg.

The only place that now reminds of the former valley on the site of the Sahara is the plateau of many rivers. It was in this form that 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, the Sahara is a generalized name for a huge number of small areas that are connected by the relief space and the climate of the Sahara desert. The eastern part of the Sahara is called the Libyan Desert, the voids from the right bank of the Nile to the Red Sea are the Arabian. South of the Arabian - Nubian. In addition to the above deserts of the Sahara, there are many small ones that we will not mention. Most of them are separated by mountain ranges and massifs.

The Sahara has several high mountains, heights up to 3.5 kilometers and the dried crater of the Emi-Kushi volcano. Its diameter is 12 kilometers. But most the territories are occupied by sand dunes, basins, occasionally decorated with salt marshes and oases. Do not forget about dry depressions, one of which is located in the Libyan desert. Its bottom is at a level of 150 meters below ocean level.

All these elements perfectly complement the desert. When viewed from above, an unimaginable outlook 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 located only in 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 characteristic of the Mediterranean flora. South part The Sahara has rare patches of paleotropic flora.

Most of the plants here belong to the endemic genus of plants, which, in turn, belong to the red-flowered, composite and haze families. Vegetation is very sparse in drier and extra-arid areas.

The southwest of Libya is rich in only nine plants of the Sahara desert, which can exist in European countries. If you drive along the southernmost border of the Libyan desert, you can not meet a single plant. But in the Central Sahara, the diversity of flora is wider than in other regions. Big variety Vegetation is achieved here only at the expense of two desert uplands Ahaggat and Tibesti. At the highlands of Tibetsi, near water bodies, ficus and ferns grow. The territory of Ahaggat is rich in relic specimens of the Mediterranean cypress.

After light rains, ephemera sprout in the desert. Often you can find grass-shrub formations, tiers in the form of acacias, undersized randonia and cornulaka. In the northern belt you can find jujube.

The extreme west of the desert is rich in large succulent plants. Here you can quite often meet cactus euphorbia, sumac, wolfberry, acacia. The coast of the Atlantic Ocean is covered with Afghan trees. On mountain ranges cereal plants of the Sahara desert, feather grass, mallow, ragwort, bonfire, etc. dominate.

Throughout the desert can be found date palms that grow near rivers and oases.

Sahara Desert Animals

The desert fauna is very rich, unlike 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, rodents are the most common. In particular, the families of squirrels, jerboas, hamsters and mice are common. Large ungulates in the Sahara are only partly distributed. The harsh conditions of survival in the desert do not allow them to exist normally here. Moreover, the population of nearby countries is actively catching them for their own needs.

A lot of antelopes live in the Sahara. The largest antelope is the aryx. Maned sheep can be found on plateaus and coasts.

From the class of predators, one can single out striped jackals, which are very numerous here, Egyptian mongooses, miniature chanterelles and velvet cats.

Birds in the Sahara are very rare. Fritillaries, larks, desert sparrows are regulars of the desert. Less often you can meet the desert crow, eagle owl, sandpipers. Representatives of lizard-like and serpent-like animals have adapted very well to sugar.

The most important symbol of the Sahara desert has long and still remains the camel.

Mirages - the most mysterious phenomenon of the Sahara

A rare inhabitant of the planet earth dare to travel to 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 travelers of the desert even managed to draw up a map-plan 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 the desert lands looks no less beautiful. The sky, adorned with the rays of the setting sun, daily creates a new harmony of shades of blue, red and pink. All this beauty gathers on the horizon in several layers, sparkles, burns and changes in form, 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 Algiers, you can get to the Sahara along a good road in one day. Along the way, you can see the stunning El Kantara Gorge. The gorge got its name because it connects the populated area and the desert. Translated from the African dialect as the Gateway to the Sahara. The road here runs through clay and rocky plains, as well as small rocks. When viewed from afar, the rocks resemble a fortress or a tower.

Guell Er Richat - The largest structure in the world

The object is located in the Sahara in 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-Rishat arose as a result of a meteorite fall. Today, research teams continue to study this piece from space and cannot explain how the perfectly even shape was preserved.

The company site offers you excursions to the Sahara. These are short-term trips for 3-4 days to exhausting desert regions. You will be able to ride camels with the overseer. The most daring travelers and thrill-seekers can go through the entire desert. Before committing such madness, consult a doctor.