Discover The Absolutely Spectacular African Sahara Desert

foreign [Music] this is the Sahara Desert about 5 000 years ago when significantly more rain fell in what is called the green Sahara but in the present day the Sahara is a treacherous dry Dusty and slaughtering Hot Land marine and terrestrial evidence shows that Northern Africa dried up over a period of time area filled with water into these Rocky and Sandy Lands the change in the tilt of the earth and weather patterns brought about less precipitation and as a result less vegetation the Sahara Desert as we know it today was therefore born with an average annual temperature of 30 degrees Celsius and a record temperature of 58 degrees Celsius the Sahara Desert is one of the harshest environments on the Earth this area gets little rainfall about health gets less than an inch of rain every year temperatures drop dramatically at night due to the lack of humidity until reach lows of -6 degrees Celsius but generally the temperature at night in the Sahara Desert is about 20 degrees Celsius snow falls regularly on several mountain ranges but nowhere else in the Sahara Desert [Music] spanning 9.4 million square kilometers and about a third of the African continent about the size of the United States that's eight percent of the Earth's landmarks the Sahara Desert is the world's largest hot desert and the third largest desert behind Antarctica and the Arctic harrodesert has alternated from its present day dry conditions to large green Savannah grasslands throughout its history according to recent studies Sahara gotten from the Arabic noun Sarah which means desert and it's plural Sahara spans nearly all of Northern Africa all the way down the African continent the Sahara Desert spans Mauritania Morocco Egypt Libya Phoenicia Algeria Chad Mali Niger Sudan and the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara but the actual area expands and contracts over time the Sahara is bordered in the west by the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea in the east by the Red Sea and in the South by the Sahel a semi-arid region that forms a transitional zone between the Sahara to the North and the belt of humid savannas to the South these sons have seen so much imprint of human history to last a lifetime of law one of the most popular sites of the Sahara Desert is its Dunes these Dunes can reach up to 180 meters in height and in the case of algeria's Easton and jeffernin a 38 000 square kilometer sea of sand with a great network of Dunes as high as 450 meters most of the Sahara Desert is surprisingly made of rocks rather than sand but the beauty of the Sea of sand have been associated with the Sahara desert for so long seventy percent of the Sahara is made of Landscapes playthroughs Dunes valleys and mountains while 30 percent is made of sand the highest point in the Sahara is at Mount KUSI which is also called emikusini located 176 kilometers north northwest of fire in the tabesti mountains located mostly in Northwestern Chad at 11 204 feet a also runs into Libya water is cars in the Sahara desert but there are over 20 seasonal mostly salt water leaks an underground reservoirs also called aquifers which are the sources of water for more than 90 Oasis it also has Lake chart a freshwater lake and two permanent Rivers namely the Nile and the Niger the Nile rises from central Africa which is south of the Sahara and flows northward through Sudan and Egypt and empties into the Mediterranean the Niger on the other hand rises from Western Africa which is southwest of the Sahara and flows north Eastward into money and the desert then turns South Eastward through Nigeria and empties into the Gulf of Guinea some of the largest water reserves in the Sahara can be found 100 to 250 meters deep these water bodies provide the needed balance for life to thrive at all in the Sahara Desert the Sahara Desert has an estimated population of 2 million with permanent communities near water sources there are also seasonal and permanent Nomads who still follow ancient trade routes the bedrooms are a nomadic tribe that reside and travel through the Sahara Desert they migrate from place to place depending on the season their name is derived from the Arabic word badawi which means desert dweller the Touareg are mainly situated in the central parts of the Sahara they are a Berber ethnic group that is found mainly in vast areas stretching from Southwestern Libya to Southern Algeria Niger Mali and Burkina Faso these tribes of the Sahara rare animals from Camels to sheep and goats where they get their meat milk and leather for their bags and other effects they are also hunters and gatherers the Sahara Desert Bears the imprint not only of the berber's and early Arabs but also of Egyptians Nubians Phoenicians Greeks and Romans its storied past has seen Legends written about it in more recent centuries it experienced the imprint of the Ottoman Spanish Italian French and English colonialism during World War II it suffered Fierce and destructive battles traveling through the Sahara staying in tents and play hearts these tribes have inhibited the Sahara Desert regions for centuries Caravans moving cargo like gold salt spices and lines of slaves via the trans-saharan trade routes a conduit between sub-Saharan and Northern Africa into Arabia has made the Sahara Desert a historically relevant pathway in time as trade across the Sahara developed it became common for Traders to move together in large groups of Caravans traveling in Caravans was safer because it was more difficult for bandage to raid trading groups Caravans also protected Traders from danger if they or their animals fell ill during the journey Caravans generally traveled at night to protect themselves from the desert environment the average 25 miles each day one trip across the Sahara Desert could fake weeks or months through these Sands the trans-saharan trade routes took roots in the 3rd Century going forward trade across the Sahara Desert increased in frequency after the introduction of camels to North Africa camels are suited to Crossing long distances with little water while carrying heavy cargo caramela Saddles were important Creations that allowed Merchants to utilize camels to move people and goods through the Sahara Desert different societies across Africa and Eurasia continually improved upon camel Saddles to increase the weight camels could carry heavier loads meant more Goods could be moved and sold lowering costs and raising profits the camel the most iconic and efficient mode of transportation through the Sahara in ancient times is still used by local tribes in the present day it is well suited for the rigas of the Sahara Desert can survive without drinking water for a week and without food for a month this is achieved because it conserves its energy well and uses the fat in its humps hydration and creating more energy with its large thick leaps it can feed on thorny plants salt Laden vegetation and dry grasses with its thick footpaths it can negotiate Rocky and Sandy terrain with its slit nostrils and heavy eyebrows and lashes it can protect its nose and eyes from punishing sandstorms and when giving water it can consume more than 30 gallons in a matter of minutes preparing for more hot and dry days unfortunately in the history of the Sahara Desert slaves were a major part of the cargo in the present day we still see some of such perilous Journeys going on in the Sahara Desert Caravans through the Sahara Desert is an art and a science all at once ancient guides use the direction of the wind how the dunes were shaped and the stars and lights in the sky as pointers for how to proceed when journeying through these sands on the other hand geographers break down the Sahara Desert into smaller areas from the mountainous regions of the western eastern and southern Sahara to the woodlands in the northern and southern Sahara and the hyper-arid central region astronomy was practiced in the Sahara Desert as far back as 7500 BC and helped them keep time and follow a sort of calendar throughout the year this also helped trained guides navigate the Sahara Desert foreign desert soil is generally gray and dry with very little water content the water evaporates quickly due to the hot climate and thus leaves the sand saline in nature there is not much organic matter in the soil of the Sahara but you have bacteria in some places the soil in depressions are usually saline while those on the margins of the desert have more concentration of organic matter the Sahara Desert is a treasure Trove of paleontological archaeological and other ancient relics dinosaur bones to hundreds of animal and plant species the Sahara Desert even with its arid nature is breaming with diversity vegetation in the Sahara is like in all hot deserts relatively sparse with wild plants and the highest concentrations occurring along the northern and southern margins are near Oasis the available vegetation has adapted accordingly with plants having thick stems to store water and survive the harsh climate plants such as dead Palms Tamaris and Acacia puts down long routes to reach life-saving water in the more arid areas the seeds of flowering plants sprout quickly after a rain putting down shallow roots completing their growing cycle and producing seeds in a matter of days before the soil dries out the new seeds May lie dormant in the dry soil for years awaiting the next rainfall to repeat the cycle the eye of the Sahara also known as the research structure is the most unusual geological formation in the Sahara Desert the structure is done like with multiple sedimentary rocks forming an elliptical shape the research structure is also referred to as well located in West Central Mauritania the Richard structure is 40 kilometers in diameter and viewing it from space reveals one of the world's most beautiful sights this structure was first popularized in the 1930s when scientists started looking at how it was formed many theories have been put forward to explain how the Richard structure came about with a popular one being that it Formed via the impact of a meteor evidence has recently come to light that this is not the case as there wasn't enough melted rock at the side effect with Scientists suggesting a possible explanation for the dome-like structure is from hydrothermal Waters the pyramids one of the most iconic structures on Earth is also located in the Sahara Desert these pyramids are located popularly in Egypt and to a lesser extent ancient Nubia pyramids are synonymous with Egypt but they are even more pyramids in the ancient civilization of Nubia mostly in present-day Sudan the wildlife in the Sahara adapts anatomically to the heat wind and temperature changes thus most of the mammals are relatively small helping to reduce the loss of water they mostly hide in the ground during the day hunt and eat at night when temperatures are lower the Sahara Desert has some 70 species of mammals 90 species of Resident Birds hundred species of reptiles and numerous other species the wildlife is concentrated primarily along the less severe northern and southern margins and near desert water sources the human body can survive for about three days without water in the Sahara Desert and of course water is cars in this hot region but for those who call the Sahara Desert home raising animals like camels goats and sheep and planting crops using irrigation near an oasis is a regular cycle a way of life the nomadic lifestyle of the headers is due in part to discuss nature of grass for their flock and the need to move through the margins of the Sahara or to a place where rain has fallen and thus has growing grass the inhabitants of the Sahara Desert dress to protect themselves wearing long robes to protect from the hot sun turbans to protect from terrible sandstorms and sandals to guard their feet from the hot Sands oacs have been used as centers of Commerce and rest for travelers going through the Sahara Desert for centuries these centers became powerful cities where people were protected animals were watered and commerce was done current data shows that the Sahara Desert has grown by about 10 percent throughout the 11 African countries mentioned earlier since 1920 when records began to be kept scientists have discovered that roughly every 20 000 years the earth shifts its axis meaning that over the last 240 000 years the Sahara has gone through multiple periods of wet and dry climates the last green Sahara Desert period ended around 5000 years ago and led to the growing desertification of the region this means that in about 15 000 years if the regular cycle holds the Sahara Desert will become green again foreign desert has seen a lot of growth and modernization from exploration for oil to building pipelines to take the oil to their final destination major highways have replaced the old trans-saharan routes crossing the desert from the northern to the southern areas ancient Oasis sites now housing airports the abundance of sunlight in the Sahara Desert has poured the building of solar Farms to help generate parts of the energy needs of countries like Morocco and Algeria there is also limited sharing of this energy with countries in Europe like Spain these solar power generation projects have had some success more projects are still being proposed to harness the Sahara desert's abundant sunlight Sahara Desert is ripe for continued Innovation and we look forward to it [Music]

Channel: UNEARTHIUM

Views: 23,851

Keywords: sahara, sahara desert, nile river, desert, solar energy, north africa, egyptian pyramids, documentary national geographic, hot desert, documentary film, youtube documentary, egyptian mythology, green energy, travel vlog, african, egyptology, trans-saharan trade, slavery documentary, the sahara desert documentary, richat structure mauritania, travel documentary, travel documentary africa, african music 2023, sahara desert green, documentaries nature, green energy projects

Id: L6mAvYmoC8A

Length: 20min 24sec (1224 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 29 2022