Download Regions of Africa

Regions of Africa
Sahara Desert
• Imagine a place on Earth that gets so
hot that you could only go without
water for four hours. Pretty scary, uh?
You would walk hundreds of miles and
see only sand. This is the Sahara
Desert, the largest desert in the world!
Location
What makes the Sahara a desert?
• The Sahara is one of the hottest places on
Earth. Even though temperatures there may rise
to 136 F (57.7 C), its dryness, not heat, that
makes a place like the Sahara a desert.
• As the world's largest desert, the Sahara
receives less than three inches (7.6 cm) of rain a
year. Even in its wettest areas, rain may arrive
twice in one week, then not return for years.
• The word "Sahara" means "desert" in
the Arabic language. The Sahara is one
of the hottest places on
earth. September, 1922, the
temperature in the Sahara soared to
136 degrees F. At night the temperature
can drop below freezing.
Land Forms
•
The Sahara Desert has
many different landforms. Parts
have sand dunes. A sand dune is a
mountain of sand. Some dunes can
be as high as 600 feet. These
dunes are found in huge areas of
shifting sand called ergs.
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Regs are another type of landform
found in the desert. regs are broad
plains covered with sand and
gravel. Regs make up most of the
Sahara.
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Hammadas also make up a large
part of the Sahara. These are areas
of flat, raised land that are also
known as plateaus. There are
volcanic mountains in the Sahara in
the country of Chad.
•
Emi Koussi, a peak in the Tibesti
Mountains is 11, 204 feet high and
the highest point in the desert.
• Sometimes you can find
gazelles and antelope in
sand dunes of the
Sahara. Mostly though,
you will finds, birds,
snakes, lizards, gerbils,
and small foxes in the
dunes.
• Many desert animals
search for food at night,
because it is cooler.
Camels: When one says the word 'desert', the second
word that comes to our mind is 'camel'. There are
two major types of camels found in the world,
Bactrian and Dromedary camels. The Dromedary
camel, which is said to be of Arabian Origin, is the
main Saharan camel. The interesting thing about
dromedary camels is that they store fat in their
humps and not water. It can drink up to 100 liters
of water in 10 minutes! But it is the favorite
domesticated animal among the Saharan people
as it has great strength, endurance and can go
without water and food for a very long time.
Deathstalker Scorpion: Scorpions are another breed of
animals that are commonly found in desert areas and the
deathstalker scorpion or the Leiurus quinquestriatus is the
native scorpion of the Sahara Desert. It can grow up to 10
cm long and although toxic, its venom is not very fatal.
Sand Vipers: Sand Vipers can grow up to 50 cm in length.
They venture out only during the night, and usually bury
themselves in the sand during the day. Their bites too are
rarely fatal.
Goats: Goats are found almost everywhere in the world,
so why should the Sahara desert be any exception?
Goats are popularly domesticated by the Saharan people
along with camels. Goats are mainly domesticated for
their milk but are sometimes used to carry goods by the
nomads.
Addax Antelope: Addax Antelope is one of the most
beautiful animals in the world. But unfortunately for this
lovely antelope, its horns are madly desired by people and
hence, this animal has almost been hunted into extinction.
They are flat-footed antelopes that can easily traverse the
sandy landscape of the Sahara. The Addax Antelope is
classified as an endangered animal.
Dorcas Gazelle: The Dorcas Gazelle is another
exceptionally beautiful animal found in the Sahara. It is the
most common species of gazelle and stands up to 65 cm
tall and weighs around 25 kgs. It is also known as the Ariel
Gazelle.
Ostrich: Famous due to the irony of being a 'flightless'
bird, the ostrich compensates its inability to fly by being
one of the fastest land animals. An average ostrich can
run at 40 miles per hour! Ostriches are the largest birds in
the world and different breeds of ostriches are found in
various parts of the Sahara desert.
Monitor Lizard: The monitor lizard is another native of the
Sahara Desert and is called so as it stands on its two hind
legs and appears to be monitoring the surroundings.
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The stem of the Saguaro Cactus stores all
of its water. The stem is green.
Photosynthesis occurs in the top layer of the
stem instead of in leaves. This plant has
another adaptation that is hidden from us.
This is its large net of roots -- that extend far
away from its trunk. How would these roots
help a desert plant? The roots collect water
after rain. Stored in the pleated expandable
stem, the water keeps the saguaro alive until
the next rain. Saguaro fruit is used in jam
and woody skeletons are used in building
materials.
The Saguaro only grows in the Sonoran
Desert, which stretches through parts of
Arizona, California, and Mexico.
This cactus can grow as tall as fifty feet,
weigh up to several tons, and live for two
hundred years.
The saguaro's sharp spines protect it from
harm. The accordion-like pleats in its skin
expand in the rain, storing extra water for
the long dry times.