How does the desert affect Africa?
The degradation of drylands in Africa is forcing people who can no longer make a living off the land to move to urban areas. According to the UN Population Division, the population of Lagos, Nigeria, will grow from 13.4 million in 2000 to 23.2 million in 2015, partly due to an influx of displaced rural communities.
How does the Sahara desert affect Africa’s economy?
Western Sahara has a small market-based economy whose main industries are fishing, phosphate mining, tourism, and pastoral nomadism. The territory’s arid desert climate makes sedentary agriculture difficult, and Western Sahara imports much of its food.
Why is desertification a major problem in Africa?
Desertification is a serious problem in the continent. It has been estimated that 319 million hectares of Africa are vulnerable to desertification hazards due to sand movement. … Soil degradation caused by deforestation is also a serious threat in Africa.
Where did all the sand in the Sahara desert come from?
The sand is primarily derived from weathering of Cretaceous sandstones in North Africa. When these sandstones were deposited in the Cretaceous, the area where they are now was a shallow sea. The original source of the sand was the large mountain ranges that still exist in the central part of the Sahara.
How long would it take to cross the Sahara desert on foot?
We had set out to become the first Westerners ever to cross the Sahara from west to east, by camel and on foot. Our route was to take us through Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, the Sudan and Egypt, a total distance of 4,500 miles. We had reckoned that the journey would take nine months to complete.