The History of the Sahara

Spread over 9,000,000 square kilometres, Saharathat last for months and years. Sahara recorded
is one of the largest deserts in the world,the highest temperature in September, which was
covering most of Northern Africa. Tracing back to58 degrees. Common temperature at night is 30
the history of Sahara, Berbers, Egyptians, Nubians,degrees.
Phoenicians and Greeks were a few ancientSahara has gone though both wet and dry
inhabitants of the Sahara. Berbers, being theweathers over a few decades that resulted in the
oldest inhabitants, have always posed threats tocontraction of Sahara, drying out its Northern
other inhabitants. The urban civilization constitutedpart, while South was saved by heavy rains and
of the Garamantes, who spread rapidly butmonsoons. Today, Sahara is dry as it was
eventually crumpled.decades ago.
Finally, the Arabs settled and trading becameA few countries that Sahara covers partly or
popular. With this trading process, the Oasiscompletely are Algeria, Chad, Morocco, Libya,
communities started to live in interdependenceEgypt, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Sudan, Tunisia and
with the Arabs. Salt, cloth, gold, manufacturedWestern Sahara. Some of the Sahara languages
goods, horses and etc. were traded amongstinclude Arabic (all across Atlantic till red sea),
communities. The camel was used as a tradingafro-asiatic, nilo-saharan, kanuri, Tegada and many
source, which was introduced in the first centurymore.
(A.D). This trade continued even betweenMany Highways have also been introduced in
different parts of the Europe. The first fewSahara since quite some time now, namely Trans
European explorers to be in Sahara were FriedrichAfrican highways, Cairo Dakar highways, Trans
Horneman and Mungo Park, in 1805 and 1806.Sahara highway, Tripoli-Cape Town Highway,
Sahara is known to be a stone desert,Cairo- Cape Town Highway etc.
constituting of more than 70% rocks and gravelThe Sahara also covers many eco-regions, which
and around 15% sand dunes. Some of the regioninclude Atlantic coastal desert, Sahara desert,
of Sahara is still unexplored, while most peopleSouth Saharan steppe and woodlands, West
travel because of fine routes and roads. LittleSaharan montane xeric woodloands, Tibesti Jebel
vegetation is also seen in Sahara in some of itsUweinat montane xeric woodlands, Saharan
parts. The highest peak in the Sahara is EmiHalophytics and Tanezrouft. Around 2,000,000
Koussi, a shield volcano in the Tibesti range ofpeople are living in Sahara now, including some
northern Chad.700,000 nomads.
Being located in such a place, the Sahara has aSeveral mountain ranges, many volcanic, rise from
warmer climate. The wind blows frequently and atthe Sahara desert, including the Air Mountains,
very high speeds. Day temperatures are high andAhaggar Mountains, Saharan Atlas, Tibesti
dusty winds blow across the North and South ofMountains, Adrar des Iforas, and the Red Sea hills.
Sahara. After long durations of dry and warmSimilarly, many animals like ostrich, sand vipers,
weather, the desert does have heavy rain fallscamels, lizards, African dog and cheetah live there.