Sahara Desert
Largest hot desert, spanning North Africa.
The Sahara is a desert spanning North Africa. The name 'Sahara' is derived from Arabic: صَحَارَى, romanized: ṣaḥārā, a broken plural form of ṣaḥrā', meaning 'desert'.
- type
- Hot desert
- location
- North Africa
- highest_peak
- Emi Koussi, a shield volcano in the Tibesti range of northern Chad
- borders
- Mediterranean Sea to the north, Atlantic Ocean to the west, Red Sea to the east, Sahel to the south
Lore & Background
The Sahara covers large parts of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Western Sahara and Sudan, and parts of southern Morocco and Tunisia. The desert is composed of hamada (rocky plateaus), ergs (sand seas), gravel plains, dry valleys, dry lakes, and salt flats. The highest peak is Emi Koussi, a shield volcano in the Tibesti range of northern Chad. The central Sahara is hyperarid, with sparse vegetation. The northern and southern reaches have areas of sparse grassland and desert shrub. Important cities located in the Sahara include Nouakchott, Tamanrasset, Timbuktu, Agadez, and Ghat.
Reader's Guide
The Sahara is significant as the world's largest hot desert and a major physiographic province of Africa. Its extreme aridity is driven by the subtropical ridge, which prevents cloud formation and rainfall. Its landscapes include mountain massifs, volcanic uplands, and unusual landforms such as the Richat Structure. The desert's size and brightness are such that it could theoretically be detected from other stars with near-current technology.
Did You Know?
- The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world and the third-largest desert overall.
- The name 'Sahara' comes from the Arabic word ṣaḥrā', meaning 'desert'.
- The highest peak in the Sahara is Emi Koussi, a shield volcano in the Tibesti range of northern Chad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sahara Desert?
The Sahara is a massive hot desert covering most of North Africa, stretching from the Mediterranean coast in the north all the way down to the Sahel in the south. Its name traces back to the Arabic word ṣaḥrā', simply meaning 'desert.'
What are Sahara Desert's powers/role?
It holds the distinction of being the largest hot desert on the planet at roughly 9.2 million square kilometres, and ranks as the third-largest desert overall after Antarctica and the northern Arctic. Its sheer scale and extreme aridity define the climatic identity of the entire North African region.
How does Sahara Desert's story end?
As a living geological system, the Sahara has no fixed finale; its borders and internal landscapes shift over thousands of years through cycles of wet and dry periods. Today it continues to evolve as an active, dynamic environment rather than a static backdrop.
Why is Sahara Desert important?
It is the single most defining geographic feature of North Africa, with its borders touching the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Red Sea, and the Sahel. Its presence governs regional weather patterns, shapes biodiversity, and influences how human civilizations have settled the continent.
Where does Sahara Desert appear in the canon?
It spans the full width of North Africa, and its highest point is Emi Koussi, a shield volcano in the Tibesti range of northern Chad. The desert's four borders are the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Red Sea to the east, and the Sahel to the south.
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