The Sahara Desert: Climate and Geography

• Water is essential for life for plants, animals, and people
• It is difficult to live in areas without water for drinking, cattle grazing, and crop growth

Desert Areas

• Characterized by low rainfall, scarce vegetation, and extreme temperatures
• Can be hot or cold, depending on the temperature
• People inhabit these lands where water is available for agriculture

The Hot Desert - Sahara

• Located in North Africa, and is the world's largest desert,
• Has an area of approximately 8.54 million sq. km
• Touches eleven countries: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara
• Consists of vast stretches of sand, gravel plains, and elevated plateaus with bare rocky surfaces
• Rocky surfaces can exceed 2500m in height

Climate

• Characterized as scorching hot and parch dry with a short rainy season
• Sky is cloudless and clear, with moisture evaporating quickly
• Daytime temperatures can reach as high as 50°C
• Nights can be freezing cold, with temperatures near zero degrees

Flora

• Includes cactus, date palms, and acacia
• Oases are green islands with date palms

Fauna

• Includes camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, snakes, and lizards

People

• Inhabited by groups such as the Bedouins and Tuaregs
• These are nomadic tribes who rear livestock like goats, sheep, camels, and horses
• Livestock provides milk and hides to make leather for belts, slippers, and water bottles
• Hair is used for mats, carpets, clothes, and blankets
• People wear heavy robes for protection against dust storms and hot winds
• Oases and the Nile Valley in Egypt support settled populations
• Crops grown include rice, wheat, barley, beans, and Egyptian cotton
• The discovery of oil in Algeria, Libya, and Egypt is transforming the Sahara
• Other minerals found include iron, phosphorus, manganese, and uranium
• The cultural landscape is changing, with modern buildings and highways replacing traditional structures
• Trucks are replacing camels in the salt trade
• Nomadic herdsmen are finding jobs in oil and gas operations

The Cold Desert - Ladakh

• Located in the Great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir
• Enclosed by the Karakoram Range in the north and the Zanskar mountains in the south
• Several rivers flow through it, with the Indus being the most important, forming deep valleys and gorges
• Home to several glaciers, such as the Gangri glacier
• Altitude varies from about 3000m in Kargil to over 8,000m in the Karakoram
• Climate is extremely cold and dry due to the high altitude
• Air is thin, causing intense sunlight
• Summer day temperatures are just above zero degrees, while night temperatures are well below -30°C
• Winter temperatures may remain below -40°C for most of the time
• Lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, resulting in low rainfall, as low as 10 cm annually
• Experiences freezing winds and burning hot sunlight

Flora

• Sparse vegetation due to high aridity
• Scanty patches of grasses and shrubs for animals to graze
• Groves of willows and poplars in the valleys
• Fruit trees such as apples, apricots, and walnuts bloom during the summers

Fauna

• Includes wild goats, wild sheep, yak, and special kinds of dogs
• Animals are reared for milk, meat, and hides
• Yak's milk is used for cheese and butter
• The hair of sheep and goats is used to make woolens

People

• Similar to the inhabitants of Tibet and Central Asia
• Either Muslims or Buddhists
• Features Buddhist monasteries called 'gompas'
• Some famous monasteries are Hemis, Thiksey, Shey, and Lamayuru
• Summers are spent cultivating barley, potatoes, peas, beans, and turnip
• Harsh winter climate leads to people engaging in festivities and ceremonies
• Women are hardworking, managing household, fields, small businesses, and shops
• Leh, the capital, is well connected by road and air
• National Highway 1 connects Leh to Kashmir Valley through the Zoji La Pass
• Tourism is a major activity
• People have learned to live in balance with nature due to scarcity of resources like water and fuel

Explore the Sahara Desert's geography, climate, and importance. Learn about its extreme temperatures, scarce rainfall, and the challenges of agriculture. Discover how people adapt to life in this arid environment.