Total area9.2 trillion m²
5.36Alaskas
10.2 millionAirport runways
184 trillionTortillas
About 9.2 million square km -- roughly the size of the US
Photo by Nicolas Jehly on Unsplash
Sahara Desert
The world's largest hot desert/Landforms
The Sahara stretches across most of North Africa and is roughly the size of the United States. Despite its reputation, only about 25% is sand dunes -- the rest is rocky plateau, gravel plains, and dry valleys. The Sahara wasn't always barren: just 5,000-10,000 years ago, it was a green savanna with lakes and rivers, thanks to shifts in Earth's orbital cycle.
Measurements
Average temperature303 K
4.9 tenthsSoldering iron tips
8.6 tenthsFresh bread loaves
2.4 tenthsKiln firings
About 30 degrees C average; extremes can exceed 330 K (57 degrees C)
Length (east-west)4.8 million m
53.3 millionFrench fry lengths
64 millionIndex finger lengths
24 millionBurrito lengths
Stretches about 4,800 km from the Atlantic to the Red Sea
Width (north-south)1.8 million m
54.1English Channel widths
7.2 millionUncooked spaghetti noodles
About 1,800 km from the Mediterranean coast to the Sahel
Highest recorded temperature331 K
9.6 tenthsCar dashboards in summer
7.4 tenthsBaking ovens
58 degrees C recorded in Aziziya, Libya (though this record is disputed)
Tallest sand dune height180 m
2.55Boeing 747 lengths
1,714Bagel diameters
6,923Guitar picks
Some dunes in the Isaouane-n-Tifernine sand sea reach 180 m