The Sahara Desert has often been the geographical hotspot that has attracted several speculation and assumptions from people. Not to forget how it is the largest hot desert in the world and is also the third-largest after Antarctica and the Arctic. Located in the northern part of Africa, the Sahara Desert covers a wide 9.2 million km² area that is believed to be as big as China.
The Sahara Desert is also surrounded by large water bodies including the Atlantic Ocean on the west, the Red Sea on the east, the Mediterranean Sea that is located on the north along with the Sahel Savannah on the south.
Here Are The Top 3 Interesting Facts About The Sahara Desert!
1. One of the oldest Graves is found in the Sahara Desert. Believe it or not but historians and anthropologists have discovered the remains of the ancient Kiffian culture that has existed between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago in the Sahara. This culture existed during the Neolithic Sub pluvial. As these people were believed to be skilled hunters, remains of large savannah animals have also been found.
Snow on the edge of the Sahara Desert in Africa is rare, yet on Dec. 19, snow fell & was seen by our satellites: https://t.co/sLQmIWHWlo pic.twitter.com/t3cLz7yYrs
— NASA (@NASA) December 22, 2016
2. The weather of Sahara Desert is not always hot as it is popularity assumed. While Sahara Desert is known to be the hottest deserts in the world. The average temperature is measured to 30°C with the highest recorded temperature being 58°C. Moreover, there is less than 1inch of rainfall annually in the Sahara Desert. Contrary to the scorching heat during the day, the temperature can drop at night while being as low as -6°C.
3. We have often seen pictures of herds of camels in the Sahara Desert. Camel is the most popular animal used for both domestic and transport purposes. Given the fact that camels can go weeks without water and food, it is the most convenient animal to be used in the harsh climatic conditions of the desert. Do you know that there is numberless flora that can survive under the harsh weather condition of the Sahara Desert? Yes, there are as many as 500 species of plants, 70 known animal species, and 90 bird species found in the vast desert of Sahara.
