The Sahara is the largest desert in the world. The largest desert
We know from school that the Sahara is the largest desert in Africa, and indeed the rest of the world. We used to imagine it in the form of endless sand dunes. In fact, in the Sahara you can meet high mountain ranges and volcanoes, salt marshes and relict lakes, lush oases and rocky deserts. Amazing Berber tribes live here, where matriarchy rules and men hide their faces under the “veil”. Famous people filmed here star Wars"And Exupery's plane crashed. Well, and most importantly, scientists believe that the reasons for the formation of the Sahara desert are man-made. We talk about all this in the article!
Location and geographical features
The Sahara occupies one third of the entire African continent. She settled in North Africa and stretched across the territory of ten states. The desert begins at the Atlas Mountains and mediterranean coast and extends to the Sudanese savannah. From the west it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and from the east by the Red Sea.
The relief of the Sahara is extremely diverse, and the height of the desert ranges from mountain ranges, towering 3000 meters above sea level, to depressions 133 meters deep. Sands in the desert at the same time occupy only a quarter of its territory. In the east of the Sahara, the Nile flows, and in the south, several small rivers originate that feed Lake Chad, and the Niger River also flows.
The official area of the desert is 8.6 million km². However, grazing and deforestation lead to the fact that annually its territory increases by 6-10 km. Therefore, the World Fund wildlife(WWF) estimates the current area of the desert at 9.2 million km². In terms of size, the Sahara already now exceeds the territory of Brazil and is gradually being compared with the United States.
The most amazing thing is that the origin of the desert is the work of man! For millions of years, the savannah stretched on the territory of the modern Sahara. North African elephants lived here, extinct in the era ancient rome, lions, rhinos and giraffes. Crocodiles and hippos lived in the waters of many full-flowing lakes, and cities and villages were built on their shores. In general, life in the future desert was in full swing, as evidenced by numerous excavations and preserved rock paintings.
However, about 5-8 thousand years ago, the tribes inhabiting North Africa began to switch to pastoral cattle breeding. They raised cattle, sheep and goats. Uncontrolled grazing of a large number of livestock led to the disappearance of vegetation in a particular area. As a result, the amount of sunlight reflected from the surface increased, and this led to a decrease in precipitation. As a result, the process of desertification started, and over several millennia, North Africa turned from a flourishing and fertile region into a huge desert.
Climate and air temperature
The Sahara can be roughly divided into two natural areas with different climates: northern subtropical and southern tropical. The subtropical part is characterized by hot summers and cold winters. In December-January, snow often falls in the mountains in the desert, and at night the soil even has time to freeze.
The lowest temperature in the Sahara desert was recorded just in the subtropical zone and amounted to -18°C. Daytime temperatures in winter usually hover around +37°C. In summer, the air temperature in the Sahara desert rises above +50°C, and the desert sands heat up to +70°C. The diurnal temperature fluctuations here are significant both in summer and in winter. In the southern tropical zone, winters are not so cold, but summer temperatures are quite comparable.
As for the rains, they go in the desert mainly from December to March. On average, up to 130 mm of precipitation falls annually in the south and up to 76 mm in the north. Relative humidity is 30-50%. At the same time, increased evapotranspiration (up to 6000 mm per year) is observed in the region.
At the same time, impressive underground water resources including artesian waters. In those places where groundwater makes its way to the surface, oases appear. Also in the desert you can find rocky lakes "gelts", filled during the rains and do not dry out throughout the year, and relic salt lakes preserved in the mountains from time immemorial.
Wadis are considered to be one of the main attractions of the Sahara - dry beds of ancient rivers, which turn into real full-flowing rivers during rains.
Plants and fauna of the Sahara
Despite the fact that the Sahara is considered a lifeless and hot desert, its fauna is surprisingly diverse. About 60 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, reptiles and protozoa live here. Large animals tend to be found along the northern and southern borders of the desert. Antelopes, ostriches, jerboas, hares and hedgehogs are found here. Not without predators - foxes, hyenas, jackals and even cheetahs.
In the rocky and sandy parts, the main inhabitants of the desert are insects and reptiles. Here you can meet lizards, monitor lizards, snakes and scorpions. Frogs, crustaceans and even crocodiles live in lakes and oases! Well, the main food for migratory birds among the sand dunes is desert snails, which can hibernate for several years in anticipation of rain.
As for the flora, it is scarce throughout the desert. Olive trees, acacias, cypresses and palm trees can be found in oases, mountainous regions and along the beds of dry rivers "wadis". However, in most of the desert, vegetation is either completely absent, or it is a small cluster of grasses and small shrubs.
At the same time, plants in the Sahara are maximally adapted to local climate. For example, in many seemingly low shrubs and herbs, the root system can reach 15-20 meters in length, thereby reaching groundwater. Individual plants come to life during the rains, in just a couple of days they ripen and scatter their seeds. Well, in the oases you can observe chic vegetation. Olives, figs, citruses and dates are often grown here.
Desert population
In those days when the Sahara was a flowering savannah, a large number of inhabitants lived on its territory. Basically, these were the Berber and Zaghawa tribes, who were engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture. Important trade routes also passed through the Sahara, connecting the Atlantic coast of Africa with the Middle East. Islam subsequently penetrated and spread through these roads. Today, many desert dwellers practice this religion.
As the region became desertified, people began to leave here. Only small groups of farmers remained to live in the territories of the oases. Cattle breeding turned into a nomadic one and consisted in the constant search for new pastures. Merchants have also adapted to the changing climatic conditions- changed from horses to camels. Gradually, the number of inhabitants of the desert was replenished by the Berber and Arab tribes, who first hid here from the ancient Roman conquerors, and then from the imposition of Islam. So among the peoples of the desert appeared the famous Tuareg.
The Tuareg are a nomadic tribe of Berber warriors. They live in the south of the desert on the territory of several countries at once: Mali, Niger, Libya, Algeria and Burkina Faso. The Tuareg have long been engaged in trade and control of the caravan routes laid across the desert, and also often conquered agricultural settlements in oases. Now they mainly breed camels and goats, are engaged in agriculture and making jewelry.
Despite the practice of Islam, matriarchy reigns in Tuareg society. Women here do not hide their faces and are required to learn to read and write. Men can remain illiterate, and after marriage they move into the wife's family. Upon reaching the age of majority, young people are handed a "tagelmust" scarf - a turban with a veil. From now on, a Tuareg man must hide his face in public.
Another amazing people of the desert is the Tubu tribe. Its representatives live on the territory of the Tibesti highlands in Central Sahara, on the border of Chad, Libya and Niger. The hot and lifeless mountain plateau resembles the lunar surface. However, the tuba can pass through it up to 80-90 km per day, without water and food. Local wisdom says that a tuba needs only one date a day: he will eat the peel for breakfast, the pulp for lunch, and the stone for dinner. Indeed, on the best days, their diet includes desert herbal tea, a handful of millet and dates. At the same time, tubes are known for their longevity and extremely low infant mortality rate!
We used to think of the Sahara as a hot desert. However, there are floods here too! History remembers two similar disasters: in 1922 and in August 2018. Both floods occurred in the vicinity of the city of Tamanrasset in southern Algeria. Heavy rains led to the fact that dry riverbeds overflowed and streams of water began to spread across the desert, washing away roads and demolishing settlements.
There really is plenty of water in the Sahara! In the northeast of the desert is the world's largest underground source of fresh water - the Nubian aquifer. In the 1970s, Libya began extracting fresh water here to irrigate crops. After that, a unique water supply system called the Great Underwater River was built, with the help of which water is delivered to the arid northern regions of the country, the cities of Tripoli and Benghazi. This project was recognized as the largest waterworks in the world! Recently, Egypt has also joined the extraction of water through the Nubian aquifer.
Nubian aquifer
Another fact that completely destroys the image of a deserted and useless desert territory is the presence of large mineral deposits in the Sahara. Rich deposits of oil and gas, iron, copper, gold, tungsten, uranium and other rare metals have been discovered here. In the north of Niger, table salt is also mined from clay.
The benefits of the Sahara are manifested not only in its bowels. The desert has inspired many writers, filmmakers and musicians. Perhaps the most famous "desert dweller" was Antoine de Saint-Exupery. His acquaintance with the Sahara took place in 1926, when a young pilot was appointed commander of an intermediate postal airport in the desert in southwestern Morocco. Here he wrote his first work - the novel "Southern Post".
Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrecked aircraft in the Sahara
In 1935, Exupery decided to set a record on his own plane, flying from Paris to Saigon. However, over the Libyan desert, one of the driest parts of the northeast Sahara, his plane crashed. The pilot and his mechanic spent four days in the desert and nearly died of thirst. They were rescued by local Bedouins. This incident subsequently formed the basis of The Little Prince.
The Sahara also served as a location for filming. George Lucas filmed Star Wars in Tunisia. Then the "planet Tatooine" was built in the desert. It was 40 years ago. However, thanks to the lack of rain and the remoteness of the place, the scenery is still safe and sound. Another director who worked in the Sahara is Ridley Scott. He filmed The English Patient here.
Frame from the movie "Star Wars". The planet Tatooine rebuilt in the Sahara
Excursions to the Sahara Desert
The best time to go to the hot Sahara desert is the off-season. At this time, conditionally ideal weather is set here: the nights are not as cold as in December-January, and during the day it is not as mercilessly hot as in summer. Tourists prefer to travel to the southern regions of the desert in winter. However, no matter what season you choose, you will have to take both light clothes for daytime walks and a warm sleeping bag for spending the night.
The territory of the Sahara covers ten African countries, but due to the difficult political situation, it is unlikely that it will be possible to cross the entire desert. Now you can safely travel to Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Algeria. Excursions to the Sahara depart from the main tourist places in these countries. Cities in the desert itself tend to be small and located in oases.
And I would love to write letters to you,
When we come across the question "The largest desert" in the scanwords, we intelligently enter the word "Sahara" in the cells. Certainly! Who hasn't heard of the Sahara? We were told at school that there are no more deserts:
Its area is 9 million square kilometers. To give you an idea, let's compare the Sahara with different countries peace.
For simplicity, we use circles. Here are some countries known to us - France, Germany, Georgia, Ukraine, South Korea and Turkey:
As you can see, Turkey looks like a kind of "strong man" here. But what will happen if we put the Sahara on this scheme?
The area of this red circle is even larger than total area all countries under the blue circles. And if now you understand that the Sahara is really huge, then ... Wait a minute.
Actually I was joking. The red circle is not yet the Sahara. This is India. Yes, yes, the very country in which 1.4 billion (!) People live.
The Sahara is even more, although its territory accommodated 560 times fewer people than in India:
Now all the scales are observed. This is what an area of 9 million square kilometers looks like. This is so much that it is approximately equal to the area of the United States, China or Canada:
And you know what I want to tell you after that?
There is a desert in the world that is even bigger than the Sahara
In general, when we hear the word "desert", then, first of all, we imagine sand, dunes, heat. Well, maybe some Arab on a camel.
In fact, deserts are very different - sandy (like the Sahara), clayey, rocky ... And there are also arctic ones.
Just like in the sandy desert, there is almost no life there, there is almost no rainfall, it is very dry and the terrain is flat.
The largest desert in the world is the Great Antarctic Desert, located in Antarctica. It is 1.5 times larger than the Sahara:
In numbers, this is almost 14 million square kilometers, which is larger than China, the United States, and Canada. There is only one "hero" capable of defeating this square - our mother Russia:
The difference between them is "trifle", only 3 million km2. So the Antarctic desert is quite comparable to Russia. Now imagine...
If you have traveled a lot around our country, then you understand how "unimaginable" its expanses are. From Vladivostok to Sochi, From Murmansk to Makhachkala. Mountains, steppes, forests, taiga, tundra, arctic, volcanoes, deserts... My God, what we don't have!
And somewhere there, on the other side of the Earth, there is a territory of approximately the same size, only there is nothing on it. In general, nothing but snow-white silence and frost at -30 * C - this is summer. And in winter and under -80 * C.
Starting from mediterranean sea in the north and the Red Sea in the east, the ever-expanding Sahara dominates much of North Africa. The Sahara has always been a mystery to people because of its vast expanses of sand. Well known as the largest hot desert in the world, the Sahara attracts thousands of tourists every year. Here is our list of the most interesting facts about the Sahara desert.
largest hot desert
We consider the Sahara to be the largest desert in the world, but in fact it is not. The largest desert in the world is the Antarctic, and the Sahara is the largest hot desert on earth. But nevertheless, the Sahara is expanding day by day, currently covering an area of approximately 9 million square kilometers. The Sahara covers a large part of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan and Tunisia, making up 31% of Africa.
The Sahara has a tropical climate with extreme weather conditions. Temperatures can reach 50C during the day and fall below 0C at night. In addition, the northeast winds of the Sahara often generate sandstorms. Half of the Sahara receives less than 250 mm of precipitation per year, while the rest receives up to 1000 mm per year. 
Mountain
most high peak Sahara is the Amy Coussy volcano, located at an altitude of 3.41 km in the Tibesti mountains in northern Chad.
Snowfall
Most amazing fact about the Sahara, it is believed that in winter the Saharan peaks are covered with snow. But the Sahara has distinct uplands and is geographically a rocky desert. However, it contains underground rivers that come out in the form of an oasis. In addition, many peaks of the Sahara are also known as volcanic. The most popular snow-capped Atlas Mountains in the Sahara are popular place for trekking. There is also evidence that a mega-lake existed under the Sahara at one point covering over 42,000 square miles.
Rivers
There are 2 rivers in the desert - the Nile and the Niger, but it has impressive underground reservoirs or aquifers. There are also about 20 lakes in the Sahara, of which only one with drinking water— Chad. It is a shallow lake that is constantly expanding and contracting at its very southern edge Sahara.
The Sahara is home to about 1,200 plant species, which mainly include succulents, trees, shrubs, and herbs. Saharan plants easily adapt to heat and drought. In addition, many varieties can survive even in salty conditions. In addition, the driest part of the Sahara, i.e., the southern Libyan desert, also has very few plant species. In the Sahara Desert, there is a plant known as the Resurrection plant that can survive for over 100 years without water. The plant dries up and rolls around in the desert until it finds moist soil, and buds sprout soon after. 
Animals
The desert is home to some of the world's most spectacular animal species. The animals that live in the Sahara Desert are unique and rarely seen anywhere else in the world. The most incredible animal species include dromedary camels, Dorcas gazelles, dung beetles, Addax antelope, Deathstalker scorpion, ostrich, monitor lizard, fennec fox, horned viper and more. But scientists have also found evidence of river animals such as crocodiles, and they have also found fossils of dinosaurs, Jobaria, Afrovenator, and Ouranosaurus in the Sahara Desert.
People
The population of the Sahara is estimated to be less than two million people, including those who live in communities close to water sources and nomadic tribes who move from place to place depending on the season. But scientists believe that the Sahara was once habitable and had a larger population than it does now. But over time, the climate of the Sahara desert has undergone dramatic changes, which led to the disappearance of many species of flora and fauna, as well as people.
The Sahara desert was a fertile and well-irrigated land about eight thousand years ago. It had a well developed grassland ecosystem and was much cooler than it is today. Research shows that the Sahara had a green and thriving vegetation that supported the lives of millions of living things, including flora, fauna, and humans. 
The Sahara is an endless giant of sand dunes. And, of course, there are dunes in many places in the Sahara, some of which rise over 400 feet. But it's actually interesting to know that the Sahara is only 30% sand and 70% gravel. Marvelous! Sahara 9,065,000 km²
The largest desert in the world, with an area of about 9,065,000 km² - just less area United States of America. Sahara is located in North Africa, on the territory of more than ten states (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan). The Sahara does not lend itself to categorization within a single desert type, although the sandy-stony type is predominant.
In the Sahara, about 160 thousand mirages are observed annually (an optical phenomenon in the atmosphere: the reflection of light by a boundary between layers of air that are sharply different in density. For an observer, such a reflection consists in the fact that, together with a distant object (or part of the sky), its imaginary image is visible, shifted relative to subject.) . They are stable and wandering, vertical and horizontal. Even special maps of caravan routes have been compiled with an assessment of the places where mirages are usually observed ..
Arabian desert. 2,330,000 km²
The Arabian Desert is located on the Arabian Peninsula Saudi Arabia, Egypt, occupies part of Iraq, Syria, southern and eastern Jordan. The vast expanses of the Arabian Desert are occupied by moving dunes and sand massifs, in its center is Rub "al-Kali, one of the largest sand massifs in the world. Most of the territory is uninhabited due to frequent sand and dust storms and strong winds, high temperatures with large daily amplitudes usual for deserts. Temperature range - 40-50°C in summer, average temperature in winter - 5-15°C, although it can drop to 0°C. 
Gobi. 1,166,000 km²
A vast region in Central Asia (on the territories of Mongolia and China), characterized by desert and semi-desert landscapes. The Gobi extends from the Altai and Tien Shan mountains in the east to the North China Plateau in the west; in the north, the Gobi passes into the steppes of Mongolia; in the south, the region is bounded by the Nanshan and Altyntag mountains and the Yellow River. gobi make up several geographical regions: Trans-Altai Gobi, Mongolian Gobi, Alashan Gobi, Gashun Gobi and Dzungarian Gobi. The word "gobi" is of Mongolian origin and means "waterless place", this word in Central Asia denotes generally desert and semi-desert landscapes. In terms of the totality of the desert territories, the Gobi is the largest desert in Asia. 
australian desert. 647,000 km²
The deserts got a huge territory of Australia, almost half of the continent. A significant part of the Australian deserts, located in the west, are located on a huge plateau 200 m above sea level. Some deserts rise even higher, up to 600 m. The complex relief divides the giant Australian desert into several independent ones. The largest of them, the Great Sandy Desert, is located in the northwestern part of the continent, to the south lies the huge Great Victoria Desert. In the northern part of the Great Sandy Desert, the sands are red-brown in color, other areas are covered not with sand, but with dark rubble and pebbles.
Among the sandy deserts, the largest is the Arunta Desert, or the Simpson Desert. It is located in the central part of the continent, closer to the west:
Arunta desert 
simpson desert
Great Sandy Desert
Kalahari. 600,000 km²
Desert in South Africa within the states of Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. Recently, due to the increase in area, it invades the territory of Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Kalahari area is about 600 thousand km2. The Kalahari climate is arid with a summer maximum of precipitation and mild winters, with aridity increasing towards the southeast. Precipitation (up to 500 mm) is confined to the summer period (November-April), but their value varies considerably both in time and in area. The Kalahari is one of the hottest areas South Africa. The average maximum temperature is plus 29°, and the average minimum temperature is plus 12° 
Karakum. 350,000 km²
Sandy desert in the south of Central Asia, covering most of Turkmenistan. The area is 350,000 km². The desert includes Zaunguz Karakum, Central Karakum, Lowland Karakum and South-East Karakum.
Chocolates are named after this desert. 
Deserts are called natural areas characterized by flat surfaces, a small amount of flora or its complete absence. Often they have a rather specific fauna. Deserts can be sandy, rocky, clay and saline. Snowy (Arctic) are isolated separately. According to the nature of the soil and soils, there are nine types, and three according to the dynamic precipitation.
Sahara
What is the largest desert in the world? There are many of them on the planet. But there are not so many really big ones among them. And the largest desert in the world is the Sahara. It is located in its north - more than 8.5 million square meters. km. This is almost 1/3 of the continent. Despite the harsh conditions, approximately 2.5 million people live on its territory. But still, the population density there is the lowest on earth. The main peoples living on its territory are Berbers and Tuareg.
Age of the Sahara Desert
Few people know that this desert is much "younger" than many people believe. It is generally accepted that the Sahara is five and a half thousand years old. Scientists have found that 6000 years ago this desert "lived" - it had trees, gardens and a lot of lakes. But over time, she changed. According to the latest research from the scientific community, most tend to believe that the Sahara "deserted" only 2.7 thousand years ago.
Territorial "highlights"
On the territory of the Sahara there are several states at once - Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Chad, Niger, Sudan and Studies show that the desert territory is unstable. She is constantly changing. From satellites received data that the Sahara periodically increases or decreases.
Curious facts about the Sahara
In some places of this desert, during the day you can fry scrambled eggs on hot sand, and at night, right there, the thermometer can drop to minus ten. Therefore, in past centuries, trade caravans moved through the desert only at night, and during the day they pitched tents and rested.
In addition to the usual information about the Sahara, there are many interesting facts. She also has one more feature - this is one of the few rare places on the planet where evaporation far exceeds precipitation: in the ratio - from 2000 to 5000 mm / 100 mm.
Under the Sahara there is a huge underground lake, which is even larger than Lake Baikal, and oases exist precisely because of it. There is not so much sand in the desert - only 1/5, and the rest of the territory is occupied by rocky land, and quite a bit - sand and pebble and simple
The desert sand cover is approximately 150 meters deep, and the largest sand dunes similar in height to the Eiffel Tower. And if all of humanity is going to scoop up the sand of the Sahara, then each of them will have more than 3 million buckets.
Strong winds constantly blow in the desert. For the whole year there are only twenty calm days. Khamsin is one of the most famous winds in the desert, which translates as "fifty" which refers to how fast it blows. Interestingly, this coincides with the Egyptian wind season, which lasts the same number of days.
Mirages
The largest desert in the world has an interesting phenomenon - mirages, which were previously considered to occur anywhere, but it turns out that they have a permanent location. And today there is even a special map on which they are applied.
Interesting and what is given Full description a mirage in this place is a palace, a well, mountain range, oasis, palm grove. Each of them is basically permanent. Every year they are observed up to 160 thousand. Mirages can have several options - wandering, vertical, stable and horizontal.
Flora and fauna of the Sahara
Of the plants here, semi-shrubs and shrubs mainly predominate. On the south side are ephemeroids and ephemera. Animals fast moving, with the ability to dig sand (having hair brushes, claws, bristles on their paws).
The largest desert on earth is famous for a place called Death Valley. It is considered the hottest and driest place on earth.
Despite the harsh conditions for life, many species of flora and fauna live in the Sahara: 545 plants, 12 amphibians, 13 fish (in oasis lakes), and more than 80 mammals and reptiles.
The largest deserts in the world: captivating and dangerous
The Sahara is not the only large desert in the world, there are others almost equal to it. There are nine more on our planet big deserts. All of them are smaller in area than the Sahara, but in relation to the rest - much larger. Every continent has a similar representative of the terrain.
The largest desert in the world after the Sahara is the Arabian. Its territory is 2,330,000 sq. m. And it captures the territory of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan and Syria. Basically, this desert is uninhabited due to the strongest winds and sandstorms, and the temperature fluctuations here are quite large. In the sand, an egg can be fried in just 10 minutes. And at night, from the cold, even stones crack.
The Gobi Desert is located on the lands of China and Mongolia. Bert your start off Altai mountains. Its territory is 166,000 sq. km. If you translate its name, it will sound like "a waterless place."
The desert of Australia is the next largest desert on the planet in terms of area (647,000 sq. km). It is here that you can meet the famous red dunes, the height of which reaches 40 meters.
Kalahari means "painful" in translation. Its territory is equal to 600 thousand square meters. km. But its area is constantly increasing, capturing the territories of Botswana, Angola, Zambabwe and Zambia.
Karakum in translation means "black sands". Its territory is equal to 350 thousand square meters. km. The height of the ridges can reach 60 meters. This desert is located in most of Turkmenistan. Due to the small vegetation that prevails there, locals adapted it as pasture for livestock.
Takla Makan is located in Central Asia, its territory is 337,600 sq. km. There, in 2008, not only very low temperatures were observed, but even snowfall!
Many people wonder which desert is the largest among the salt ones? To this we can answer that the Salar da Uyuni is considered the greatest in the world. On its territory, salt is estimated in billions of tons. And the passing rains, dissolving it, turn the desert into a huge mirror.
Atacama is the largest desert in Chile. This is the driest place on earth. Plants nevertheless were able to adapt, having developed their own ways of surviving in this place. During drought, they refuse even the functions of reproduction and growth.
Antarctica is the largest ice desert in the world. Its area is over 14 million square meters. km. And surprisingly, it is this desert that is considered the driest place on the planet. There is also an explanation - the cold “dries up” all the moisture, and precipitation here does not exceed 4 cm per year. And 1983 was marked by its lowest temperature - 89 degrees Celsius.
