THE SAHARA
THE Sahara is the largest hot desert on the planet. Only Antarctica at the south pole and the Arctic region at the north pole – both cold deserts – are bigger.
Although we tend to think of a desert as a hot place, it’s really defined by how little precipitation (such as rain, snow or dew) the area gets, so it can be hot or cold.
The Sahara stretches across 9,3km² – about the size of China or the USA. South Africa would fit into it seven-and-a-half times! Let’s take a closer look at this breathtaking “sea” of sand and stone.
