The Sahel and its climate

instagram viewer

The Sahel zone marks the transition from the desert of North Africa to the savannah areas to the south. It not only distinguishes itself as an important economic area, but is also subject to its own climatic conditions.

The Sahel zone is a border area of ​​the climate.
The Sahel zone is a border area of ​​the climate.

The geography of the Sahel

  • The Sahel zone is located in North Africa and stretches across the entire area of ​​the Atlantic to the Red Sea. It marks a dividing line between the northern desert and the southern savannah areas.
  • This area is about 150 kilometers wide and over 6000 kilometers long.
  • It is fundamentally noteworthy that the environmental conditions did not necessarily lead to the impoverishment of the countries, but rather the human approach.
  • This means that basically good growing areas, for z. B. Millet, present. Due to the modern exploitation of the soil, which increasingly led to erosion.
  • Also z. B. This zone is much more polluted by smuggling routes than by environmental phenomena, as nature has recovered in recent years and the desert has partly shifted to the north again.
  • Animals in the Mediterranean - interesting facts about this animal world

    The area in and around the Mediterranean is a popular travel destination because this body of water ...

The climate in it

  • The climate of the Sahel zone is characterized by two opposing extremes.
  • In the direction of the more northerly desert there are dry, hot and sometimes arid conditions. In the southern direction, towards the dry and humid savannas, these conditions change to hot and humid weather.
  • Precipitation is also shaped in this regard. If there are virtually no precipitation conditions in the northern part of the Sahel, precipitation in the south is 25 times stronger.
  • The entire zone is characterized by the tropical climate change. D. This means that there is a noticeable change between a dry and a rainy season.
  • This precipitation period is limited to two months and is not fixed, but can vary in its occurrence.
  • The consequence of this is that, although there is sometimes enormous rainfall in the monsoon phases, this occurs on the one hand and is distributed over time On the other hand, the temperature conditions do not counteract evaporation, which ultimately leads to frequent high periods of drought leads.
  • In these phases, by the way, trade fair circulation also plays a role, which carries the moisture from the sea into the land, but does not extend further than the desert approach of the Sahara.

How helpful do you find this article?

click fraud protection