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Chapter 7 lifE in tHE dESErt

Deserts are areas of the earth’s surface which receive less than 25 cm or 10 inches of
rainfall every year. They contain little or no vegetation. The main characteristics of deserts
are : rare clouds, little rain, very hot days, very cold nights.

Deserts are characterised by extremely high or low temperature, low rainfall and scanty
vegetation. Depending on the temperature, there can be hot deserts or cold deserts.

hot dEsErt–sahara

locatioN

Sahara is the world’s largest desert. It covers an
area of approximately 8.54 million sq. km and

stretches across several countries of Africa.
Lying between the Atlantic ocean in the west,
the Red sea in the east and the Mediterranean
sea in the north, its southern part merges into
the Savanna grasslands.
Map of Sahara Desert

The huge Sahara desert does not have uniform relief. Besides
vast stretches of sand, the area is also covered by vast stretches
of pebbles and gravel and also have high plateau with bare rocky

surface. Several seas are found here and these are the sources
of fresh water for the people. River Nile flows across the eastern
region and river Niger forms the southern borders. Lake Chad,
the only fresh water lake is also located on the southern border.
Sahara Desert

climatE

The climate in Sahara desert is very hot and dry. The average annual temperature for
the desert is 86°F (30°C), but during the hottest months temperatures can exceed 122°F

(50°C), with the highest temperatures ever recorded at 136°F (58°C) in Libya where the
nights may be freezing cold with temperatures nearing zero degree. The Sahara is also
extremely windy. Hot dust filled winds create dust devils which can make the temperatures
seem even hotter. Hot and sandy wind called Khamsin in Egypt and Gibli in Libya, blow

over northern Sahara. In southern Sahara, dry north easterly winds called harmattan blow
during winter. It experiences a very short rainy season.

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