Sahara

Introduction & Top Questions
Physical features
- Physiography
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant life
- Animal life
People
Economy
- Resources
- Transportation
Study and exploration

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Map of northern Africa highlighting the extent of the Sahara Desert in orange, covering parts of countries including Morocco, Western Sahara, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, and Sudan. Surrounding countries and major bodies of water such as the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean are also shown for geographic context.

Map of the Sahara Desert region in northern Africa showing physical features such as mountain ranges, plateaus, major sand areas, and elevation with color shading. Country boundaries, major cities, and select spot elevations are labeled. An inset locator map highlights the Sahara's position within Africa and the Mediterranean region.

How climate change is turning the Sahara green

How does desert dust from the Sahara affect global climate?

Round, green-striped colocynth fruits (Citrullus colocynthis) growing on dry, sandy ground in the Sahara Desert with sparse vegetation and scattered trees in the background.

At a Glance

Sahara summary

Quizzes

Mount Kenya in Mount Kenya National Park is the highest mountain in Africa. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Giant Lobelia in foreground. (Mt. Kenya; Mt. Kenya National Park; mountains; rugged mountain; African geography, African landscape, stratovolcano)

Africa’s Physical Features

Church of Saint George (Bet Giyorgis), Lalibela, Ethiopia. UNESCO World Heritage site.

Geography of Africa Quiz

Arabian Camel (Camelus dromedarius) in the Sahara Desert sand dunes. (pack animal; sand; Morocco; Africa; African desert; mammal; dromedary; drought)

Quick Quiz: Deserts

Related Questions

Does snow ever fall in the Sahara Desert?
How did Islam spread through the Sahara Desert?
How did prehistoric people use the ancient lakes of the Sahara Desert?
How did the Sahara Desert change during the African Humid Period?
How did the introduction of camels change travel and trade across the Sahara Desert?
How did trans-Saharan trade connect the Sahara Desert with other regions of Africa and the Mediterranean?
How do Sahara Desert plants survive with very little rainfall?
How do desert snails survive long dry periods in the Sahara Desert?
How do layers of dust in marine sediment support evidence of past Sahara climate changes?
How do nomadic herders find pasture in the Sahara Desert?
How do people grow crops in Sahara Desert oases?
How does Earth’s precession affect rainfall in the Sahara Desert?
How does soil salinization threaten farming in Sahara Desert oases?
How does the Canary Current affect the climate along the western edge of the Sahara Desert?
How does the Great Green Wall initiative aim to slow desertification near the Sahara Desert?
How have oil, natural gas, and mineral discoveries changed the Sahara Desert economy?
How much of the Sahara Desert is covered by sand sheets and dunes?
How much precipitation does the northern Sahara Desert receive each year?
How old is the Sahara Desert?
How quickly can ephemeral plants grow and reproduce after rain in the Sahara Desert?
What are the khamsin, ghibli, and chili winds of North Africa?
What are the two main climate zones of the Sahara Desert?
What evidence shows that the Sahara Desert once contained lakes and rivers?
What evidence suggests that parts of the Sahara were arid 7 million years ago?
What is the harmattan wind in the southern Sahara Desert?
What is the highest point in the Sahara Desert?
What natural features form the boundaries of the Sahara Desert?
What types of sand dunes occur in the Sahara Desert?
When did cattle herding begin in the Sahara Desert?
When did farming first appear in the Sahara Desert?
Where is the Sahara Desert located in Africa?
Where is the lowest point in the Sahara Desert?
Which birds can be found in the Sahara Desert?
Which crops are grown in Sahara Desert oases?
Which goods were traded across the Sahara by camel caravans?
Which groups of people traditionally lived as pastoralists in the Sahara Desert?
Which mammals live in the Sahara Desert?
Why did modern roads and motor vehicles reduce the importance of Sahara camel caravans?
Why do some Sahara Desert dunes make booming or singing sounds?
Why do temperatures change so sharply between day and night in the Sahara Desert?
Why does the Sahara Desert alternate between dry and humid periods?
Why have some animal species disappeared from parts of the Sahara Desert?
Why is water overuse a danger for Sahara Desert oases?
Why were camel caravans important for transportation across the Sahara Desert?
What is the climate of the Sahara Desert?
How did the Sahara get its name?
Can plants and animals survive in the Sahara Desert?
Do people live in the Sahara Desert?
What is the modern economy of the Saharan Desert like?
Why was Memphis an important city in ancient Egypt?
What role did Memphis play in Egypt’s religious life?
Who were the pyramids of Giza built for?
What do the pyramids of Giza represent?
What’s inside the pyramids of Giza?

Geography & Travel Physical Geography of Land Deserts

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External Websites

National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Expansion of the Sahara Desert and shrinking of frozen land of the Arctic
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Oases in the Sahara DesertÂ–Linking biological and cultural diversity
LiveScience - The Sahara: Earth's largest hot desert

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Sahara - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Sahara - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

sand dunes Sand dunes in the Sahara, near Merzouga, Morocco.

Sahara

desert, Africa

Also known as: Ṣaḥārāʾ

Written by

Jeffrey Allman Gritzner

Professor of Geography; Director, Montana Public Policy Research Institute, University of Montana, Missoula. Author of The West African Sahel: Human Agency and Environmental Change and others.

Jeffrey Allman GritznerAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 7, 2026 •History

Sahara, (from Arabic ṣaḥrāʾ, “desert”) largest hot desert in the world. Filling nearly all of northern Africa, it measures approximately 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from east to west and between 800 and 1,200 miles from north to south and has a total area of some 3,320,000 square miles (8,600,000 square km); the actual area varies as the desert expands and contracts over time. The Sahara is bordered in the west by the Atlantic Ocean, in...

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