According to many scientists, Africa, where today is the largest and most mysterious desert of the planet, is the birthplace of human civilization. It is also believed that it was the desertification of territories that made people leave their habitable places and adapt to new living conditions. This to some extent contributed to the evolution of man.
Scientists look at the past of the Sahara
According to some paleontologists, in the territory where the Sahara desert stretches today, there was once a completely different climate. He favored the widespread dissemination of diverse species of plants and animals. A variety of lush vegetation provided shelter and food for animals and humans, so the region was densely populated by people.
Geographical position
The extent of the Sahara desert from north to south and from western to eastern borders is so great that it occupies approximately 30% of the entire 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 features are the natural boundaries of the desert in the west and east. The distance from the western to eastern borders is about 4800 kilometers. The length of the Sahara from north to south in different places varies from 800 to 1200 km. In the north, the desert reaches the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. In the south of the Sahara, it borders on the ancient inactive impassable dunes of the Libyan desert.
Given the enormous extent of the Sahara desert from south to north, it is impossible not to note the fact that it is located in the northern hemisphere of the Earth and does not go beyond the equator.
The modern look of the territory
In the vast expanses of the Sahara, strong winds dominate, which are capable of moving 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 that the entire length of the Sahara desert from north to south is an area covered by sand. But this is not at all true. Sand seas occupy only 10% of the total landscape. For the most part, there are rocky plateaus, rising above sea level no more than 400 m. Between them are huge massifs of volcanic origin. Their height can reach 3000 m. Rocky boulders of bizarre shapes are another type of Sahara landscape.
For the reason that the length of the Sahara desert from south to north is so huge, a unified detailed classification of landscapes that are constantly replacing one another has not been developed. In the educational and scientific literature there are only basic names, although in reality there are more.
The vast extent of the Sahara desert from north to south is sand and stones, sometimes alternating with oases. They are fed by underground artesian and groundwater, which occur here in large numbers. Thanks to this, unusually beautiful corners of nature are formed among the dead silence of sand and stone. The riot of greenery and other bright colors of oases is especially pleasing to the human eye.
Increased drought
The length of the Sahara desert from north to south increases from year to year. This is because droughts in areas adjacent to the desert territory are repeated with a certain regularity. Environmental scientists explain this process in different ways, but people are still recognized as the culprits of desertification in new areas of Africa. The unreasonable use of natural resources always leads to problems of this kind.
Man's adaptability to life in the Sahara
Extreme natural conditions that exist throughout the desert make human living here almost impossible. However, despite this, even in the driest regions of the Sahara there are nomadic Teda and Tuareg tribes. But still I must say that some areas of this harsh region are completely deserted.
The bulk of the desert population lived on the territories along the coast of the Nile - the only river flowing along the Sahara. The channels of the remaining rivers are filled with life-giving moisture only in a short rainy season. Then they dry out and remind of themselves only by the recesses remaining on the surface.
Man proved that in irrigated areas of the desert you 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 sands, and it can be difficult to raise it to the surface. The budget of many African states does not withstand such costs. However, despite the enormous extent of the Sahara desert and the difficult living conditions here, some governments are conducting research work. As a result, deposits of oil, gas, phosphates, iron and
copper ore, uranium, and gold were discovered. The natural resources stored in the bowels elevate this region of the planet to the category of promising ones.