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• The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert and the second largest in the world next to Antarctica. Almost the size of the United States, the Sahara covers 10% of the African continent, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. Sand dunes make up about 15% of the desert, rocky plains comprise another 70% and the remainder consists of limestone and shale plateaus.

• Fast Facts

  1. Sahara is Arabic for desert
  2. 3,500,000 square miles
  3. Receives less than 3 inches of rain each year
  4. Saharan sand dunes can reach heights of 600 feet
  5. Estimated to be over 3 million years old
  6. Strong winds create sand storms and shape dunes

• Flora and Fauna

  Although temperatures can reach up to 57°C and then drop below freezing in some areas, the Sahara is home to a surprisingly large number of plant and animal species. An estimated 70 species of mammal, 100 species of reptile, 90 species of bird and 500 plant species make the Sahara their home. Human inhabitants number less than two million, consisting mainly of the nomadic Tuareg, Tibbu and Moor tribes.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Gobi Desert | Kalahari Desert | Mojave Desert | Algeria | Chad | Egypt | Libya | Mali | Mauritania | Morocco | Niger | Western Sahara | Sudan | Tunisia | Nile River | Antarctic Desert | Chihuahuan Desert

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