: The Sahara is one of the harshest environments on Earth. Daytime Highs : Temperatures regularly exceed ) in summer.
: Winter nights can see temperatures plummet to Sahara
The Sahara was once a "Green Paradise." Around 11,000 years ago, it featured lush forests, grassy plains, lakes, and rivers. : The Sahara is one of the harshest environments on Earth
The desert's name is derived from the Arabic word ṣaḥrāʾ , which simply means "desert". It stretches across 11 North African countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Sudan. The desert's name is derived from the Arabic
Sahara | Location, History, Map, Countries, Animals, & Facts
: While often pictured as endless sand dunes (some reaching 180 meters tall), the landscape also includes salt flats, stone plateaus, and mountains.
The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert and the third-largest desert overall, following the cold deserts of Antarctica and the Arctic. Spanning approximately 3.6 million square miles (9.4 million square kilometers), it covers nearly one-third of the African continent—an area roughly the size of the United States. Geography and Environment