The Sahara, the great African desert, is located in the Northern part of Africa. On the eastern side of the Sahara, the Red Sea and on the western part, the Atlantic Ocean is located. The northern part of the Sahara Desert is adjoining the Mediterranean Sea, while in the south the ancient, immobile sand-dunes are located. It is the largest hot desert in the world. It covers about 10 per cent of the continent (spreads over 5632704 km2). Yearly rainfall here is not more than 25 cm. The day temperature reaches around 50º C and the night temperature falls to less than 0º C. Sand sheets and sand-dunes cover approximately 25 per cent of the Sahara’s surface. The major water source of the Sahara is the seasonal stream. The Nile is the only permanent river that flows from Central Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.
The name Sahara is derived from the Arabic noun Sahra, meaning desert.
