Sahara Desert
The Sahara Desert is a land of extremes, covering an unbelievable area of 9.2 million square kilometres.
To put its size in perspective it is 4,800km long and 1,800km wide and occupies about 31% of the African continent.
The Red Sea lies to its east, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean to the north and the Sahel Savannah to the south, thus making it the largest hot desert on the earth excepted only by the cold deserts of the Arctic and Antarctica.
The Sahara is a land of miraculous endurance, history, and unexpected changes of the environment, in spite of its reputation as a desolate wasteland.
A Story of Survival: Life in a Harsh Climate
The Sahara covers 11 countries including Egypt, Algeria, Libya and Mali. Summer temperatures often exceed 40 Celsius but life tells about means of surviving.
Water: In here, the most valuable thing is water. Although the Nile and the Niger are the only two rivers, most of the inhabitants use other deep wells.
The Community: Their life is all about their animals. Their routine activities in the mornings include walking long distances to find wells that keep their goats active. And the animals gives necessary milk and butter for them. The climate is unpredictable. Some years are exceptionally dry, and half of people may be lost by the community because of the lack of water.
The "Ship of the Desert": The camel is the hero of the Sahara. These animals are best adapted to the heat, and can go seven days without water, and one month without food, with the help of the fat they have stored up.
Hidden Treasures and Ancient Knowledge
The dunes of the Sahara cover not only the sands, but the ruins of the ancient civilizations.
The Buried Libraries of Chinguetti: Chinguetti, a 13th century town in Mauritania, is the site of a phenomenal library of ancient manuscripts. Historic works on Islamic law, astronomy, mathematics, and linguistics are found in these libraries, which have preserved a rich African intellectual tradition under the desert sun.
Lost Towns: A lot of ancient settlements are buried under the sands and awaiting archeological discoveries that will reveal the mysteries of the people who were once so prosperous in a much greener Sahara.
The Green Revolution: Senegal’s Defense
There is an impressive environmental revolution that is taking place in Northern Senegal. Since 2010 the local communities have been planting 30,000 hectares of trees each year as a protection against
deforestation.
The Great Green Wall: This program is mainly led by women who come out to prepare arable land to be planted.
Economic Effect: Thousands of jobs have been generated and the local economy stabilized by this agricultural transformation. Nowadays, more than 150 children in these now openly greened areas have access to schools and a contemporary education, that even the desert can be driven back with a concerted effort.
Travel Recommendations: What You Need to Know
It is an experience that one cannot forget having visited the Sahara. It is not a one-day affair. It is a process that is usually difficult, costly and physically challenging.
Transport: The majority of tourists visit the Sahara Desert by camel riding or special motorcycles.
Language: Arabic is the most commonly spoken language in the region.
Safety and Restrictions: As a result of the harsh conditions and due to cultural aspects, it is not advisable to take children below 12 years old.
Moreover, it is common to have regulations on smoking and big parties to maintain the peace and calm of the desert.
In case you want to be a bit more settled in the desert, there are areas such as Amen Bashar that offer filtered water, food supply to approximately 30,000 residents of the area.
The Sahara is a mystery with 45 days of camel caravans. Would you ever think of a journey through the most well-known desert in the world?
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