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Where Is the Sahel?

GeographyEnvironment

Quick Answer

The Sahel is a semi-arid transition zone stretching across Africa between the Sahara Desert to the north and the tropical savannas to the south.

The Full Story

The Sahel (from Arabic "sāḥil," meaning "coast" or "shore" of the desert) is a belt of semi-arid grassland and shrubland extending about 5,400 km across Africa from the Atlantic coast (Senegal, Mauritania) to the Red Sea coast (Eritrea). It spans parts of 10 countries and varies in width from about 200 to 600 km. The Sahel receives 200-600 mm of rainfall annually, concentrated in a short wet season. The region is ecologically fragile: cycles of drought and human pressures (overgrazing, deforestation) have caused severe desertification, particularly during the devastating Sahelian droughts of the 1970s-80s. The African Union Great Green Wall initiative aims to restore 100 million hectares across the Sahel by 2030.

Key Facts

1.The Sahel is home to about 135 million people, many dependent on rain-fed agriculture and pastoralism.
2.Lake Chad, once one of Africa largest lakes, has shrunk by about 90% since the 1960s due to drought and irrigation.
3.The Great Green Wall aims to be an 8,000 km belt of trees across the Sahel, from Senegal to Djibouti.

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"The Sahel — The Fragile Zone Between Desert and Savanna"