Question

throw light on life style of the people of sahara​

Answer 1

Answer:

The Hot Desert – Sahara

We are sure you all know what deserts are. Isn’t it? How many of you have actually been to a desert and know how it is like? Have you ever wondered how people live in a desert and what they eat? In this chapter, we will look at one of the most famous deserts in the world, the Sahara Desert.

The Sahara Desert

The Sahara desert covers a large part of North Africa. It has the following features:

Sahara is the world’s largest desert. It covers an area of around 8.54 million square kilometres (which is more than the total area of India!!).

The desert touches eleven countries which are as follows: Algeria, Morocco, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara.

It has gravel plains and elevated plateaus with a bare rocky surface. These rocky surfaces, at some places, are more than 2500 m high.

Climate

The climate of the Sahara desert is scorching hot and parched dry. It has a short rainy season. Since the sky is cloudless and clear, the rate of water evaporation is greater than the rate of water accumulation. Hence, there is water scarcity. However, the nights may be freezing cold with temperatures nearing zero degrees Celsius.

Flora and Fauna

• Flora: Vegetation in the Sahara desert includes cactus, date palms and acacia. We can find an oasis in some places.

• Fauna: The animal species found here are camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions and many varieties of snakes and lizards.

People of Sahara Desert

Different groups of people inhabit the Sahara desert. They are engaged in different activities. Among them are the Bedouins and the Tuaregs. These groups are nomadic tribes.

They wear heavy robes to protect them from the harsh climate i.e. dust storms and hot winds. The tribes are engaged in animal rearing. Animals such as sheep, goats, camels, and horses are reared for the following purposes:

• Milk

• Hides: These are used to make leather for belts, slippers and water bottles.

• Hair: This is used to make mats, carpets, clothes, and blankets.

• Growing Date Palms and Agriculture

The oasis in the Sahara and Nile valley in Egypt supports settled population. Since water is available, people grow date palms. Other crops that are grown include rice, wheat barley, and beans. Egyptian cotton is grown in Egypt.

Changes In The Desert

Sahara desert is experiencing constant transformation because of the discovery of oil. This discovery has been made in Libya and Egypt etc. We can also find other important minerals like iron, phosphorus, manganese, and uranium.

We also find a lot of changes caused due to business and infrastructural development.

Gleaming glass cased office buildings tower over mosques and superhighways crisscross the ancient camel paths.

Trucks are replacing camels in the salt trade.

Tuaregs are seen acting as guides to foreign tourists.

Many nomadic tribes are finding

jobs in the field of oil and gas

operations, and migrating to cities.