The length of the Sahara desert from north to south, from south to north
According to many scholars, Africa, where todayis the largest and enigmatic desert of the planet, is the birthplace of human civilization. It is also believed that it was desertification of territories that forced people to leave their habitable places and adapt to new living conditions. This to a certain extent contributed to the evolution of man.
Sight of scientists on the past of the Sahara
According to some paleontologists,the territory where today the Sahara desert stretched, there was once a completely different climate. It favored the wide dissemination of diverse species of plants and animals. A variety of lush vegetation gave shelter and food to animals and humans, so the region was heavily populated by people.
Geographical position
The length of the Sahara desert from north to south and fromwest to eastern borders is so great that it occupies about 30% of the whole area of Africa or a third of its northern part. Sahara stretches from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the shores of the Red Sea. These geographical objects are the natural boundaries of the desert in the west and east. The distance from the western to the eastern borders is about 4,800 kilometers. The length of the Sahara in the north to the south varies from 800 to 1200 km in its various locations. In the north, the desert reaches the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. In the south, the Sahara borders on the ancient inactive impassable dunes of the Libyan Desert.
Given the vast length of the Sahara desert from south to north, one can not but note the fact that it is located in the northern hemisphere of the Earth and does not cross the equator.
Contemporary appearance of the territory
On the boundless expanses of the Sahara, strong winds prevail, which can move huge masses of sand from place to place. It is for this reason that the territory is constantly changing its appearance.
An ignorant person sometimes mistakenly believes thatThe entire length of the Sahara desert from north to south is an area covered with sands. But this is not so. Sandy seas occupy only 10% of the entire landscape. On most of the rocky plateaus stretching above sea level no more than 400 m. Between them towering massifs of volcanic origin. Their height can reach 3000 m. Rocky blocks of bizarre forms are another kind of landscape of the Sahara.
For the reason that the length of the Sahara desertfrom the south to the north is so huge, a single detailed classification of landscapes, constantly replacing each other, has not been developed. In the educational and scientific literature there are only basic names, although in reality there are more.
Drought Strengthening
The length of the Sahara desert from north to southfrom year increases. This is due to the fact that droughts in the areas adjacent to the desert territory are repeated with a certain regularity. Scientists-environmentalists explain this process in different ways, but the person who recognized the origin of desertification of new regions of Africa is still recognized. Unreasonable use of natural resources always leads to problems of this kind.
The adaptability of man to life in the Sahara
Extreme natural conditions existing onthe entire desert are made to make living here almost impossible. However, despite this, even the most arid regions of the Sahara are inhabited by the nomadic tribes of Ted and Tuareg. Still, it must be said that some areas of this harsh land are completely deserted.
The bulk of the desert population inhabitedterritories located along the coast of the Nile - the only river flowing through the Sahara. Channels of other rivers are filled with life-giving moisture only in a short period of rains. Then they dry up and remind of themselves only the cavities left on the surface.
The man proved that in the irrigated areasdesert can grow a rich crop of cultivated plants, raise livestock. But artificial irrigation is an expensive type of work - fresh water lies deep under the sand, and it can be difficult to lift it to the surface. The budget of many African countries does not sustain such costs. However, despite the enormous extent of the Sahara desert and the difficult living conditions here, the governments of some countries are conducting exploration. As a result, deposits of oil, gas, phosphates, iron and copper ore, uranium, and gold were discovered. Natural wealth stored in the depths, make this region of the planet promising.
