Covering major areas of several countries, these are a marvel
As surprising as it may appear, it is even more surprising to know that more than one-third of the African continent is covered by desert. For some, there is nothing worthy or anything to admire in the desert. But for some deserts in their typical character of a desert, covered in coarse sand and its natural habitat make all the more difference. And in Africa, there are plenty of deserts that will mesmerize a traveller for their charm. Here are some of the best-known deserts of Africa.
Sahara Desert
Spread over an area of 9,200,000 square kilometres, it is the largest hot desert in the world and the third-largest desert overall. It covers countries of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morroco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan, and Tunisia. The temperature during summer reaches 50 °C. According to historical findings, deserts were created around 7 million years ago. Comprising different regions, each has its own rainfall levels, temperatures, plants, and wildlife. It is also made up of varied terrains, such as sand dunes, volcanic mountains, plains, and oases. The wildlife present here includes oryx, gazelles, deer, wild asses, baboons, hyenas, jackals, sand foxes, and mongooses.
Kalahari Desert
This desert is spread over an area of 930,000 km² across the countries of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Unlike its counterparts, this desert receives slightly more rainfall and also paves the way for vegetation such as resilient grasses, thorny shrubs, and acacia trees. However, one of the most unique features of the Kalahari Desert is the prominent sand dunes and huge salt pans which are a result of dried-up lakes that happened centuries ago. Due to the water here, the Kalahari is home to lions, brown hyenas, meerkats, antelopes, and a wide variety of birds and reptiles.
Karoo Desert
Spread over an area of 400,000 km² in South Africa, the Karoo is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. It is defined by its low rainfall as well as its extreme heat and cold. The desert is divided into two regions – the Succulent Karoo Biome to the west and the Nama Karoo Biome which covers much of South Africa’s southern interior plateau.
Danakil Desert
Spread over an area of 136,956 km² in Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, the Danakil desert is nicely placed in the Afar Triangle. This desert holds the most extreme environment in the Whole of Africa, all thanks to the lava lakes, volcanoes, hot springs, and multi-coloured salt lakes.
A few other deserts of Africa are Chalbi Desert, Namib Desert, Namib Desert, Guban Desert, Nyiri Desert, Grand Bara Desert, and Lompoul Desert.
