Sahara Desert in Tunisia (Tunisia) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.
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The Sahara Desert in Tunisia is the main southern sightseeing attraction, where excursions from any Tunisian resort are mandatory. Unaccustomed to the hot exotics of the northern tourist, the Sahara amazes with endless dunes of all shades of yellow, going far beyond the horizon, the smallest sand that cannot be held in the palm of your hand, ringing silence and even dry heat, periodically interrupted by strong sandy winds. For most tourists, getting to know the Tunisian Sahara is limited to an hour-long camel ride as part of a two-day excursion, but if you want to get to know the desert closer, you can go on a weekly or even two-week expedition or stay for a few days at a Saharan campsite.
A bit of geography
The Sahara is the largest desert on Earth with an area of more than 8 million km and a length from east to west of about 5000 km - from the Red Sea to Atlantic Ocean. Despite the fact that as many as 11 states have the Sahara in their natural "asset", Tunisia is one of three countries(along with Egypt and Morocco), which you can visit without problems for your own safety. The Sahara Desert in Tunisia occupies almost a fourth of the country's territory - of course, the south.
There are many attractions in the Sahara: Mount Tembain, the ruins of the ancient Roman fort Tisavar, the highest dune of the Tunisian Sahara, Zemlet el-Borma.
What to see
Contrary to well-established ideas about the desert, the Sahara in Tunisia is not only sand dunes and dunes desired by tourists, but also vast rocky plateaus, perfectly flat open surfaces of salt marshes, as well as extended semi-sandy plains with sparse vegetation. You can see the diversity of the desert without going too far to the south, however, in search of "real" dunes, it is worth considering the territory from the southern city of Douz - the "gateway to the desert" - and below, to the extreme southern point of Tunisia, Borj el-Khadra, located in close proximity from the famous Libyan oasis of Ghadames.
There are many attractions in the Sahara - Mount Tembain ("mountain visible from afar"), the ruins of the ancient Roman fort Tisavar, the highest dune of the Tunisian Sahara, Zemlet el-Borma, oases and ancient springs. The path is regularly crossed by herds of free-ranging camels, you can see sand foxes and falcons circling in the sky.
If you want to get to know the Sahara better, it makes sense to stay in Douz for a few days and book an overnight stay in the Sahara.
Where to go
The most convenient way to join the Tunisian Sahara is as part of a two-day excursion. Tourists arrive in the Sahara in the afternoon of the first day. The program includes an hour-long camel ride through the nearby dunes, quad biking, go-karts, and a five-minute hang-glider flight with a professional pilot over the desert and oases. At night, tourists are accommodated in one of the Douz hotels, so there is an opportunity to breathe in the desert air to the fullest and even watch its inhabitants - owls, jerboas and scarabs.
If you want to get to know the Sahara better, it makes sense to stay in Duza for a few days and book an overnight stay in the Sahara (camel, guide and awning included) or a full trip in a 4x4 jeep into the heart of the sands.
In the Tunisian Sahara, many auto and motor rallies are held. For the convenience of athletes in the desert, there are several campsites. Most Popular - Yadis Ksar Ghilane Tourist Camp Hotel with its own oasis and hot thermal spring, the authentic Mars campsite at the foot of Mount Tembain and the “almost civilized” Mehari Zaafrane campsite in Zaafran between
Just four thousand years ago, the Sahara was completely different - flowering meadows, wild animals just like in the Serenget, then everything changed with amazing speed. Powerful shifts in the molten core led to a tilt earth's axis and rapid climate change. For three hundred years, rising temperatures and reduced rainfall have turned the savannah into an inhospitable desert.
And in last years it only got hotter. Today, the Sahara stretches eight million kilometers across 11 North African countries, and has an area the size of Europe. It may seem like an uninhabited endless wasteland, but impressions can be deceiving.
Berbers are the most ancient people in the Sahara - no one knows where their ancestors came from, but among today's Berbers there are nomads, traders, and invaders. They live mainly along the northern edge of the desert, but many of them still travel into the heart of the desert along ancient roads, regardless of the borders of states.
For thousands of years the Berbers have lived in a land where for most people every day would be a test. The secret of their success is simple - camels, Berbers began to use these unusual creatures in the African Great Desert in the 3rd century AD. e. Camels move here with ease inaccessible to cars with all-wheel drive. These hardy creatures immediately turned life in the Sahara upside down; owners could travel far and wide on camels. All of a sudden, the nomads were able to start selling goods all over the desert. The Sahara ceased to be an obstacle and opened up great prospects.
On the southern border of the Sahara, in the wilds of Mali, the largest land animals in the world still live - desert elephants. They, too, make fascinating journeys in an endless search for food and water. The desert of Mali is not theirs natural environment habitats they are savannah animals affected by climate change.
The largest body of water is Lake Banzen, but it also dries up during the rainless season.
On the southern edge of the Sahara, the Fulavi tribe lives side by side with desert elephants. They are the same nomads as the Berbers, but their movements are connected with the needs of a large cattle. V Lately the number of people and animals has increased significantly, so when the dry season is in full swing, a desperate struggle begins for food supplies, which are running out.
The nomads put at their service not only camels, but also hunting animals, including birds of prey. According to the inscriptions in ancient Egyptian tombs, they have been used for thousands of years, just like the Saluki, the oldest breed of dog. The Berbers still hunt with the Saluki in the desert.
Previously, scientists have excited our imagination with tales of endless sands, but the lands of the Sahara are not barren and the dunes cover only 15% of the earth's surface. The Great Desert is a mosaic of dunes, mountains, gravel and bare rock. Each of these places is hard to live in its own way and each has its own animals.
At the edge of the Sahara lies the arid savannah. There is food and water here, but not all year round. Once upon a time, big cats and their prey lived here. Frequent hunting and competition with livestock have led to their almost complete extinction. But some animals can still be saved from extinction, such as the Sahara orex, they, like elephants, travel great distances in search of new pastures. But beautiful, almost a meter long horns became the reason for their extermination by people. But in Tunisia, under careful supervision, several herds are raised.
Sahara on the map
But the farther into the desert, the more difficult the conditions. Phoenix, this is the most small view canids and he is also a desert dweller. Very big ears phoenixes help him cool off, but their main purpose is to find prey.
On a clear night, the temperature in the desert can drop to 13 degrees Celsius, but as the sun rises, it quickly rises to 40 degrees.
A real skink native to the Sahara - slippery skin, paws resembling a shovel and a wedge-shaped muzzle, it is for him that the most scary predator"Sea of Sands" horned viper(horned rattlesnake).
The sand dunes of the Sahara are constantly moving. When a natural front comes close to a big sandstorm, it can rise like a wall more than a kilometer in height and last for several hours and even days. Sandstorms in the Sahara are the strongest in the world. They are visible from space. They have far-reaching implications. Dust from the Sahara reaches the United States. Every year, over 13 million tons of Saharan sand enters the Amazon, which fertilizes a tropical forest.
In fact, there is a lot of water in the Sahara, you just need to know where to look. An oasis of precious lakes on the Andy Plateau, part of the vast reservoir of the Nubian aquifer system.
The market in Jenny, in central Mali, is one of the most important in the entire Sahara. The stalls are set up once a week in front of the grandiose mosque, the largest alluvial building in the world. Products and livestock are brought here from all over the area, but such important goods as cotton and precious metals are even from abroad. Jenny crosses many trade routes that run from north to south from Morocco and Egypt to atlantic coast Ghana. Merchants carry goods west and east along the Nile, one of the two remaining rivers in the Sahara.
The port of Mopti has not changed over the centuries, the boats called pirogues look the same as they did 800 years ago. They ply the same routes and carry valuable cargo to Timbuktu and beyond. Mopti and Jenny provide the desert dwellers with everything they need.
In the central part of Mali on the southern outskirts of the Sahara is the Bondiagara highlands. Abandoned houses of the extinct Telip tribe stand on huge rocks. At the foot of the highlands - crocodiles.
Global warming brought unexpected changes. Hot air brings more moisture, and more frequent showers give hope that perhaps the Sahara will turn into a savannah again. Photo materials used from Wikimedia © Foto, Wikimedia Commons
The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, located in northern Africa.
This area reaches 9,000,000 square kilometers and occupies more than 1/4 of the African continent. The name comes from the Arabic word as-Sahra.
About 1.5 million people live in the sand surface, as most of them are in Mauritania, Morocco and Algeria.
Nouakchott, the largest city in the Sahara, is the capital of Mauritania.
Geography
The Sahara Desert is located from the Atlantic Ocean in the west, to the Atlas Mountains and mediterranean sea in the north, the Red Sea and Egypt in the east, near the Sudan and the Niger Valley in the south.
The Sahara Desert extends over 11 countries:
Algeria, Egypt, Western Sahara, Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Chad.
The Sahara is divided into several zones: Tenere, Grand Occidental Erg, Great Eastern Erg, Tanezruft, Hamada al-Hamra, Igidi Erg, Erg Shesh, Arabian Desert, Libyan Desert, Nubian Desert. 1/4 desert from a mountain whose highest peak is Emi Koussi at 3415 m in Chad. Some of the highest peaks are covered with snow even in summer, which is quite a curiosity since the Sahara is a continuous heat.
Climate
The climate in the Sahara was not always dry, as it is today. Studies based on discovered fossils show that this region had a humid climate where succulent vegetation grew. At the end of the last ice age, for about 8,000 years it often rained in the desert, but today it is one of the driest places in the world.
Precipitation in this area is calculated to be only about 20 mm per year. The daily temperature range is around 35°C until the seasonal amplitude reaches 56.5°C. Desert sand temperatures can be increased to 81°C. heat in the world is 58 °C, measured in the oasis of Al-Aziziya in Libya in 1922. In the Sahara, strong winds that create sandstorms. Typical local winds.
The mountains
In the northwestern part of Africa, in the countries of Algeria and Morocco rise the Atlas Mountains, which form the boundary between Mediterranean and desert climates. Their highest point is Mount Tubkal - 4.165 m. Inside the growth of the Sahara 2 "island" of the Mountain - Ahagar in Algeria ( highest point Mount Tahafe - 3,003 m) and Tibesti in Chad (the highest point is Mount Emmy Koussi - 3,415 m). All these mountains are of volcanic origin.
Desert types
About 1.2 million km ², the Sahara desert sand, and the rest of the rock and rubble. In Africa, sandy deserts are known as erg, stony as Hammadi, and ballast that occur in depressions in Libya as seriri.
Erosive forms
In the Algerian part of Hamad the shape is created by stirring the sand at night. In Algeria, these forms are called "Gour". There are many dry river valleys, known as "wadi" beds of former rivers, which are filled with water only in very heavy rains. In some parts of the desert, where the wind is stronger, forms, etc. "deflationary depression." One of the world's greatest deflationary depressions is located southeast of Mount Tibesti and covers an area of 90,000 km².
Accumulative forms
In areas where groundwater flows in close proximity to the substrate, such as depressions, salt lakes are formed. There are many of them and they are often found only in Algeria and Tunisia more than 1000. The Arabs are called shots, the most famous of them are Chott el Jerid and Chott esh Shergill.
The most popular form of dunes, some of which reach considerable sizes (up to 180 m) and Velvet (crescent-shaped dunes), which occur most often in the Libyan Desert. Velvet reach heights of 30-40 m. Sifat is another type of dune characteristic of the Sahara, which is generated during times of variable wind direction and speed.
Water
The largest and only permanent river in the Sahara is the Nile. It passes through Sudan and Egypt and into the Mediterranean through the Delta. In a rush ground water to the surface, forming oases that are surrounded by lush vegetation. These are allspice, Dakla and gray in Egypt Kufri in Libya, Tidikept and Gurara in Algeria. There are many salt lakes - shots that occur most often in Algeria and Tunisia. The most famous of them are Schott Jerryd, Schott esh Shergill and Schott previous. The beds of former rivers are known as wadis, sometimes a temporary stream of water during heavy rains.
Flora and fauna
The flora of the Sahara has about 1200 species. vegetation type depends on water resources in part. V coastal areas Sahara, along the shores of the Mediterranean and Atlantic, growing shrubs such as ling and bushes. In arid areas, only dry plants and loving lichens grow. At the foot of the mountains and Tibet Ahagar grow palm trees and similar plants, and sometimes in wetlands along the shores of salt lakes grow halophytic plants. In the driest part, no life develops, because the conditions there are unbearable for all forms of life.
However negostopriemnostta their environment, the Sahara is home to many species of animals that have adapted to the way of life in the desert. The largest number of camels, goats and scorpions. In the Sahara live three species of Desert Fox (Fenech) and small mammals, such as the family of rodents are known as lady. Rocky desert habitat for several species of venomous snakes.
Typical inhabitants of the desert are Addax antelopes, jackals, wild dogs and cheetahs. You live and gazelles and ostriches (once in huge numbers), but now they are rare.
Geology
The formation of the Sahara desert is part of a process that began over 8,000 years ago when the soil in this area was still fertile. Some fertile areas are now irrigated by underground rivers and pools.
Studying satellite images taken from the Sahara, some scientists have concluded that the desert is regularly contracting and expanding. In the early 80s, the southern edge of the Sahara reached the Sahel - a dry line separating the sand from the savannah. But in the mid-80s this area was wet and covered in greenery. Constantly making artificial channels and replanting plants to stop the spread of sands.
Story
It is believed that the oldest peoples inhabiting the Sahara are the Berbers and Tuareg, who inhabit it to this day. Between the 9th and 6th millennium BC in the Nile Valley civilizations develop in Ancient Egypt and Nubia, and about 1200 BC. appears Phoenician civilization. Later parts of the Sahara have possession of the Greeks, ancient rome and Carthage.
In the 7th century in the spread of Islam. Until the 19th century, when European colonization, most of today's Egypt, Libya and Sudan do not have Ottoman possession under Spanish rule Western Sahara falls, Italy colonized Libya and Great Britain conquered Egypt and Sudan. Getting to the handle of Egypt's independence in 1922. Other countries became independent between 1951 and 1975.
After the Islamic conquest to develop transsaharskata trade. Kingdoms in the Sahel, especially the Ghanaian Empire and then the Malian Empire were wealthy due to the export of gold and salt to North Africa. Emirates on the Mediterranean coast sent Industrial goods and horses. Salt is mined from the Sahara. During the trial, the settlements in the oases will turn into trading centers.
In the desert and transport slaves. The trade continued for several centuries and died out with the advent of the caravel, which can cross deserts and seas to transport goods directly from Guinea to Europe and North Africa.
Population
Due to poor living conditions in the Sahara is sparsely populated. In total, about 2 million people live in the desert, mainly in and near oases. Most of them are Berbers, Tuareg, Copts and Bedouins. largest cities of all countries in the Sahara are located on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Where is the Sahara Desert located?
Sahara Desert- the largest desert in the 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. The Sahara is the hottest and driest place on the planet. 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 exhausted without water and moist 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 it was recorded maximum rate at 73 degrees.
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. Desert area in different sources different is indicated 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. high 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 the central parts of the 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 the period rain showers. 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 prolonged strong winds. Sometimes violent storms may 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. Caravaneers 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 resembles an eclipse, and the wild animals of the Sahara desert completely lose their orientation.
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 were more than humid climate and instead of endless sands there were savannahs and steppes. The local population was 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, Sahara is a generalized name huge amount small areas that are connected by relief space and climate features 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 territories are occupied sand dunes, hollows, 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 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. southern 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. Cereal plants of the Sahara Desert, feather grass, mallow, ragwort, bonfire, etc. dominate on the mountain ranges.
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 live here. different groups, among which:
- 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 distinguish 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. The 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 it comes dark night where 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.
Where is the Sahara Desert located?
The Sahara Desert is the largest SANDY desert on our planet and it is located in the northern part of the African continent. It also ranks second as the most big desert in the world by area, giving way to the Antarctic Desert. The area of the Sahara occupies about 8.6 million km2 and partially occupies the territory of 10 states. From west to east, its length is 4800 m, and from south to north its length ranges from 800 to 1200 meters. At the same time, the size of the desert is not constant; it grows annually by 6-10 km from south to north.
Sahara desert landscape
The landscape of the Sahara consists of 70% of the plains and 30% of the Tibesti and Ahaggar highlands, the stepped plateaus of Adrar-Iforas, Air, Ennedi, Tademait, etc., as well as cuesta ridges.
Climate of the Sahara Desert
The climate of the desert is divided into subtropical in the north and tropical in the south of the desert. In the northern part of the desert, there are large fluctuations in temperature, both annual and average daily. In winter, the temperature can drop to -18 degrees in the mountains. Summer, on the other hand, is very hot. The soil can warm up to 70-80 degrees Celsius.
In the southern part of the desert, temperature fluctuations are slightly less, but also in winter the temperature in the mountains can drop below zero degrees Celsius. Winters are milder and dryer.
The desert is characterized by a large fluctuation in temperatures at night and during the day. This figure is voiced up to 30-40 degrees difference between night and day temperatures! Therefore, it is sometimes impossible to do without warm clothes there at night, as the temperature can drop below zero. Also in the desert there are often sandstorms, in which the wind can reach up to 50 meters per second. The central parts of the desert may not see rain for years, and other parts may even experience heavy downpours. In other words, the Sahara desert is full of surprises in terms of weather.
Sahara Desert - amazing place. It is incredible how animals, plants, and people have been able to adapt to life in this part of the earth, given the constant drought and heat.
1) In terms of size, the desert is like half of Russia, or the whole of Brazil!
The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world, covering 30% of Africa. But this is half Russian Federation, or the entire area of Brazil, which is the fifth largest country in the world in terms of area.
2) "Sea without water." On the Arabic The Sahara is a desert, and some people called it the "Sea without Water" because once upon a time there were many rivers and lakes in its place.
3) Mars on Earth. The desert dunes move from a couple of centimeters to hundreds of meters per year, and the dunes themselves resemble the landscapes of Mars! Sometimes they reach a height of 300 meters!
4) There are fewer and fewer oases. Near the oases, villages and cities usually appear, but every year there are fewer and fewer oases.
5) The average temperature in the desert is about 40 degrees Celsius! The sand itself is heated up to 80 degrees Celsius! But at night the temperature can drop to -15 degrees Celsius.
6) Over the past fifty years, storms have begun to appear more and more often, in some places their occurrence has increased forty times!
7) There are 3 million people living in the Sahara. but before people there were more, once upon a time, caravans of merchants who carried various riches passed through the desert. But the passage through the entire desert took 1.5 years!
8) The roots of some plants are at a depth of 20 meters! In this way, plants try to get water for themselves in order to retain it for a long time and use it carefully.
9) There are about 4 thousand in the Sahara various kinds animals and plants.
10) Camels live without water for 14 days, and without food as much as 30! They can smell moisture for 50 kilometers, and drink a hundred liters of water at a time! And they don't sweat at all! Their humps are fat, thanks to which they can exist for a long time without food.
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