This largest hot desert on the planet is not only a harsh and desolate place, but also holds many fascinating secrets.
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| The Sahara Desert covers a surface area of 9.4 million square kilometers, encompassing a quarter of Africa. However, it is not the world's largest desert. In fact, it ranks only third, after Antarctica and the Arctic. Photo: Geography. |
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| The Sahara Desert is expanding. Since 1962, it has increased by nearly 650,000 square kilometers. Parts of the Sahara are owned by 11 countries: Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Chad, Morocco, Eritrea, Niger, Mauritania, Mali, and Sudan. Photo: Science News. |
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| Approximately 4,000 years ago, this area was still a fertile region teeming with diverse flora and fauna. However, the Earth's tilt angle shifted from 22.1 degrees to 24.5 degrees every 41,000 years (currently at 23.44 degrees and gradually decreasing), causing the region to become arid. Photo: Ancient Code. |
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| Even today, parts of the Sahara remain fertile. Underground rivers flowing from the Atlas Mountains (such as the Siwa, Kufra, Timimoun, and Bahariva) rise to the surface, creating lush green oases. Photo: Dualwarez. |
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| In fact, this desert has as many as 207,200 square kilometers of oases (about 2% of its area). Another part is made fertile by floods from the Nile River. Photo: Reference |
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| With an area equivalent to the United States – which has a population of 300 million – the Sahara Desert is home to only two million people. Photo: Healthy Travel Blog. |
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| Among them, the majority are nomadic people, such as the Tuareg tribe or the "Blue People of the Sahara" with their distinctive blue attire. Photo: Eupedia. |
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| From December to January, nighttime temperatures in the Sahara frequently drop below freezing. Some sand dunes may even be covered in snow. Photo: Independent. |
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| The Sahara's record high temperature was recorded in Azizia, Libya, in 1922, reaching 57.7 degrees Celsius. Photo: HeritageDaily. |
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| Most of us think of the Sahara as endless stretches of sand dunes. In southern Libya, these dunes can reach heights of up to 180 meters. Photo: World Insight. |
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| However, this famous desert also features sand dunes, gravel plains, rocky plateaus, valleys, salt flats, mountains, rivers, and streams... Only 30% of the Sahara is sand. Photo: Traveler Corner. |
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| The Marathon des Sables in the Sahara takes place in southern Morocco every April. Participants must register years in advance, at a cost of $4,500. The race lasts 7 days, traversing sand dunes and rocky plateaus over a total distance of 240 km. Participants must bring their own equipment. Photo: Pinterest. |
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| The Sahara has more than 20 lakes, mostly saltwater. Lake Chad is the only freshwater lake there. Photo: Never Ever Seen Before. |
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| Many plant species have adapted to the harsh climate of the Sahara. Some have developed long root systems to access groundwater. Photo: Travel HD. |
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| Some sprout quickly after the rain, flowering and producing seeds in a short time, before the soil dries completely. The new seeds can remain in the dry soil for years, waiting for the next rain to germinate. Photo: The View from Fez. |
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| Desert animals are also capable of surviving without water for days at a time. Photo: Pinterest. |
According to Zing
