About The Sahara Desert: The Sahara stretches across the top of Africa, spanning parts of a dozen countries. It is the largest hot desert on Earth, but contrary to popular imagination, sand dunes make up only about a quarter of its surface — the rest is rocky plateaus and gravel plains. A Once-Green Desert — Rock art found in the Sahara shows animals like giraffes and hippos that lived there long ago.

Location: Northern Africa · Area: ~9.2 million km² (3.6 million mi²) · Countries: Algeria, Libya, Egypt & more · Landscape: Mostly rock, not sand · Climate: Scorching days, cold nights · Wildlife: Camels & fennec foxes · Oases: Ancient trade route stops · History: Once a green landscape · Named For: The Arabic word for 'desert'