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Meaning - In ancient Arabic, Sahara means 'empty space' or 'space where nothing grows' or in other words... a desert.

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Size - It is the third biggest desert in the world, covering around 8.6 million square kilometers.

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Countries - The Sahara stretches into 10 countries, including Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

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Hottest in the world - Daytime temperatures here can reach an incredible 50ºC, and at night can drop to 0ºC.

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Not always a desert - Numerous scientists believe they have proof that the Sahara desert was once a tropical jungle.

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Proof - To back this theory up, there are various rock carvings that show the Sahara with incredible nature like lions, crocodiles, hippos and elephants. Not only this, but fossilized tree trunks have been found, indicating the huge jungle that may have existed here.

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Snow in the Sahara - This happened one night in 1979. The snow fell for half an hour and melted a few hours later with the sunrise.

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Inhabitants - Two of the main tribe in the Sahara are the Bedouin people and the Tuareg people. The Bedouins are a tribe of Arabic origin who still speak a language originating in the Arabic peninsula. While the Tuareg people are nomads who speak the Berber language.

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Religion - The majority of the Sahara's population follows Islam and speak Arabic.

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Whale Valley - In The Egyptian Sahara there's a place called Wadi Hitan, which means 'Whale Valley.' This name came after archaeologists found the remains of thousands of whales in the area.

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Marathon - There's a marathon that crosses part of the Sahara. It's called the Marathon Des Sables and is a 250km route which lasts seven days. The biggest obstacle for competitors isn't the distance, but the heat which reaches 50ºc.

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Star Wars - In the Tunisian Sahara, one of the big tourist spots is Luke Skywalker's house, where several scenes of the original Star Wars were filmed!

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Animals - The Sahara actually has quite a lot of wildlife. There are nearly 70 different species of mammals, approximately 90 species of birds, and more than 100 species of reptiles.

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The King of the Desert - One of the most common animals in the Sahara is the Arabian camel. They have adapted to the dry climate, and can go 17 days without eating or drinking. When they find water though, they can drink 100 liters in just 10 minutes.

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River Nile - The main river in the Sahara desert is the River Nile, the second longest river in the whole world. It starts in Rwanda, in Africa, and reaches the Mediterranean Sea.

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Expanding - Scientists agree that during the 90s, the Sahara expanded nearly 636,000 square kilometers!

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Dunes - In the Sahara there are sand dunes over 170 meters high!

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Fossils - Numerous dinosaur fossils have been found in the Sahara.

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Green - Some parts of the desert have these scrub lands. They exist in the most northerly and southerly parts of the Sahara.

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Highest point - The highest point of the Sahara is Emi Koussi, a shield volcano found in northern Chad.

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Domestic animals - Goats and camels are the most common domestic animals that you can find in the Sahara desert.

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Fertilizer - Sand from the Sahara desert is carried by the wind to the Amazon rainforest where it acts as a natural fertilizer.

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Record - The world record for crossing the Sahara on a bicycle was set in 2011 by an Englishman who accomplished the feat in 13 days and 5 hours.

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Variety of vegetation - Due to the high temperatures, plant life mostly consists of scrub, which still includes around 1,100 different species of plants.

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The world's most isolated tree -

The Ténéré tree was thought to be the most isolated tree in the world as it was the only tree in the Sahara in a 200 kilometer radius. But the tree was killed when it was hit by a drunk driver in 1973.

See also: Extraordinary desert experiences for adventurous travelers

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