Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world. It also one of the largest ecosystem in the world. It occupies about 3.32 million square miles in Africa.
The desert runs though 11 countries and a part of African known Western Sahara.
The Sahara stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. The Sahara has played a major role in the environmental history of Africa and Eurasia.
Under the force of natural climate change, it evolved from ocean of grassland that supported pastoralism to an imposing arid vastness that separated sub-Saharan Africa from the societies that surrounded the Mediterranean sea.
The desert almost never rain. In some parts, less than three inches of rain fall in a year. Some plants seeds lie in the ground until rain falls. Then the plants grow rapidly an complete the life cycle in six to eight weeks.
In the Sahara Desert water is available in some places due to springs. Around these springs, may green spots are found where people settle down. These greens pots are called Oasis.
Temperatures in the Sahara can be extremely high during the day, and then drop to below freezing at night.
The main animals of this region include jackals, hyenas, lizards, snakes, desert fox and cats besides spiders, scorpions, ticks and centipedes. Most desert animals can go long periods of time without water they get water from plants that they eat.
Sahara Desert
