Page 163 - SST Class 07

mountains and plateaus are rocky and their height
is as high as 2500 metres at some places. The two
important rivers flowing at the edge of the Sahara
are the Nile and the Niger. You can find some
freshwater oases in the desert area. The Lake Chad
is a freshwater lake.
F ind Outind Out A babool tree A date palm

How many countries are covered by the Sahara
Desert?

Climate
The climate in the Sahara Desert is of extreme
type, with the temperature rising as high as 50°C
in day time. It has once been recorded 57°C in
1922, which is scorching heat. However, night An acacia tree A cactus tree
time temperature is freezing cold, sometimes
temperature falling to sub-zero temperatures. Just Think!
Extreme heat and dryness add to the woes of the
people living here. Moisture is almost non-existent Why do you think plants in the deserts have small
in the atmosphere here, with annual rainfall being leaves?
below 25 cm. Moisture evaporates faster than you
The trees of date palms are planted near the oases
can imagine. The hottest months are June, July
and August. in order to give the land some relief from
scorching heat. This shaded area is used for
Quiz Time growing fruits and vegetables, including figs,
Fill in the blanks : olives, apricots etc. The large oases are able to
support the farming of wheat, maize, millets,
1. There is scarcity of plants in desert due to the beans, onions, tobacco and sweet potatoes.
_________ .
2. Dryness of the climate makes the _________
Info Bits
extreme. Info Bits
3. The all of Sahara is not covered with Some oases are very large and fertile. Tafilalet
_________ . Oasis in Morocco is spread over 13,000 sq km.
4. The hottest months are _________ _________ Animal life is limited in the Sahara Desert. The
,
and _________ . chief species of animals include camels, hyenas,
jackals, foxes, scorpions, snakes and lizards.
Flora and Fauna
The extremely hot and dry climate in the Sahara
Desert is not suitable for vegetation. This desert is
barren for the most part. The chief varieties of
vegetation include cactus, date palms, babool and
acacia, with some other bushes. These plants have
adapted to the climate, so their leaves are narrow
A camel A fox A hyena
and waxy so as not to allow moisture to
You may wonder that the Sahara Desert was once
evaporate. There are some oases at some places,
which are able to support some vegetation where a lush green place. Many cave paintings have
revealed that there were many rivers here, which
some farming is possible.
Life in Deserts
163