The Sahara Desert - The Largest Desert in the World!

 

Hey kids, welcome back to KidsCast! Today, we will learn about the Sahara Desert (the largest desert in the world). So let's start.

How big is the Sahara:

The Sahara Desert is 3.3 square miles and covers 25% of the African continent. Did you know that the desert is almost bigger than the United States of America?

Location:

The desert is located in the northern part of Africa. It covers the countries Algeria, Egypt, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan and Tunisia. It is directly north of the Sahel realm. It is southeast of the Atlas Mountains (in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia).

People: 

Although the Sahara is as big as The USA, it is estimated to contain only some 2.5 million inhabitants (which is excluding the Nile) - less than 1 person per square mile. Remember, 1 square mile is 0.4 square km.

Climate:

The Sahara desert's climate is scorching hot and parched dry. It has a short rainy season (monsoon season). Since the sky is clear and cloudless, the rate of water evaporation is more than the rate of water collection. That is why there is water scarcity most of the time.

Food:

You can find a wide variety of food in the Sahara Desert. Some people just eat from the vegetation like grass and shrubs, including Acacia Trees. There is also the Date Palm, the Doulm Palm Tree, Oleander (evergreen shrub), Fig Trees, Sahara Mustard Plants and Orange Trees, that are mainly included in their diet.

Flora: 

Some of the plants that grow in the Sahara Desert are mentioned below:

1) Laperrine's Olive Tree

2) Saharan Cypress

3) Desert Thyme

4) Date Palm

5) Acacia Tree

6) Doulm Palm

7) Cactus

Fauna:

The animal species found here are hyenas, camels, jackals, foxes, scorpions and many varieties of snakes and lizards.

So children, this information was almost everything about the Sahara Desert. Now, this is the end of the post. We will see you soon! Till then, Stay Happy, Keep Learning!