Sahara Desert:
Covering almost one-third of the continent, the Sahara is the largest desert in the world at approximately 3,500,000 sq. miles (9,065,000 sq. km) in total size. Topography includes areas of rock-strew plains, rolling sand dunes and numerous sand seas. It ranges in elevation from 100 ft. below sea level, to peaks in the Ahaggarand Tibesti mountains that exceed 11,000 ft. (3,350m). Regional deserts includethe Libyan, Nubian and the Western desert of Egypt, just to the west of theNile.
Almost completely without rainfall, a few underground rivers flow from the Atlas Mountains, helping to irrigate isolated oases. In the east, the water's of the Nile help fertilize smaller parts of the landscape.
Namib Desert:
The Namib is a coastal desert in southern Africa
that stretches for more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi) along the Atlantic coasts of
Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, extending southward from the Carunjamba
River in Angola, through Namibia and to the Olifants River in Western Cape, South
Africa.
From the Atlantic coast eastward, the Namib gradually ascends in elevation, reaching up to 200 km (120 mi) inland to the foot of the Great Escarpment.
From the Atlantic coast eastward, the Namib gradually ascends in elevation, reaching up to 200 km (120 mi) inland to the foot of the Great Escarpment.
Annual precipitation ranges from 2 mm (0.079 in) in the most arid regions to 200 mm (7.9 in) at the escarpment, making the Namib the only true desert in southern Africa.
The Namib is also the oldest desert in the world and its geology consists of sand seas near the coast, while gravel plains and scattered mountain outcrops occur further inland.
The desert's sand dunes, some of which are 300 m (980 ft) high and span 32 km (20 mi) long, are the second largest in the world after the Badain Jaran Desert dunes
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The desert's sand dunes, some of which are 300 m (980 ft) high and span 32 km (20 mi) long, are the second largest in the world after the Badain Jaran Desert dunes
Kalahari Desert:
It's
about 100,000 sq. miles (259,000 sq. km) in size and covers much
of Botswana, the southwestern region of South Africa and all of western
Namibia.
The desert plateau is criss-crossed by dry rivers beds and dense scrub.
A few small mountain ranges are situated here including the Karas and the Huns.
Large herds of wildlife are found in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park,
located in South Africa near its border with Namibia.
Sahel:
The Sahel is a wide stretch of land running completely across north-central Africa, just on the southern edges of the ever-expanding Sahara Desert. This border region is the transition zone
