Ask anyone to name a desert, and most likely the first place that comes to mind will be the Sahara.

This incredible desert stretches over a whopping eleven countries in Africa: Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Chad, Sudan, Algeria, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Niger, and Mali.

And with otherworldly landscapes and iconic animals in its unique ecosystem, it’s no wonder that this desert expanse has become the most famous in the world.

But if you’re imagining that the Sahara is merely comprised of sand, sand, and more sand – well, you’d be quite wrong.

It’s impossible to even predict the number of grains of sand in the Sahara, but admittedly the answer is an unimaginable number.

Surprisingly though, only around a quarter of the 3,000 mile stretch of the Sahara desert comprises of sand.

In fact, this vast desert – which is around the same size as the United States – comprises of a lot more than just its mighty sand dunes.

Among other iconic geological features in the Sahara are vast lakes and rocky regions, as well as mountains and valleys.

All of this speaks of the Sahara’s history – a fascinating and complex line of fluctuating climatic conditions, causing the vast desert plains to turn from wet to dry, and back again.

That’s right, the Sahara desert has, at times in its long history, been a temperate savannah where plants and animals thrived, thanks to our planet’s climatic cycles.

And before it was a place struck by huge temperature extremes and wildly inhospitable conditions, the Sahara was once home to thriving human civilizations.

In fact, while it’s hot and dry now, scientists predict that in thousands of years to come, the Sahara will one day be full of life, vegetation, and vital water once again – just as it was around five thousand years ago.

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