Knowra Sahara Sahara The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert, stretching across North Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. Its landscapes include vast sand seas, rocky plateaus, mountain ranges, and dry valleys.
Sahara Desert : A vast desert region of North Africa extending from the Atlantic coast to the Red Sea. This broader regional name is commonly used for the same desert.
Desertification : The degradation of dryland ecosystems through climatic shifts and human activities. It is often confused with natural desert boundaries, but does not explain the Sahara’s formation.
African humid period : A period, roughly 14,500 to 5,000 years ago, when much of North Africa was wetter and greener. Its lakes and grasslands contrast sharply with today’s hyperarid Sahara.
Trans-Saharan trade : Trade networks linking North Africa with regions south of the Sahara across desert routes. Caravan routes connected Saharan oases and towns to wider African markets.
Amazon rainforest : The largest tropical rainforest, occupying much of the Amazon Basin in South America. Saharan dust supplies phosphorus and other minerals to parts of the Amazon Basin.
Sahara Desert climate : The climate of the Sahara, marked by very low rainfall, intense sunlight, and large temperature swings. Aridity shapes the desert’s sparse water sources and varied landscapes.
Harmattan : A dry, dusty northeasterly trade wind that blows across West Africa, especially in winter. It carries Saharan dust into regions south and west of the desert.
Green Sahara : The former North African landscape of lakes, grasslands, and savannas during wetter climatic intervals. Rock art and fossil evidence reveal ecosystems that once occupied the Sahara.
Salt trade : The exchange and transport of salt, a valuable commodity in many historical societies. Saharan salt mines supplied trade networks crossing the desert.
Atlantic Ocean : The ocean separating the Americas from Europe and Africa. Saharan dust crosses the Atlantic, affecting air quality and marine ecosystems.
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