Sahel - Sahelzone

Sahel zone
The Sahel zone lies on the southern edge of the Sahara, the largest desert on earth, and thus at the transition from north to central Africa. It forms a band that stretches across the entire width of the continent, from the Atlantic in the west to the Red Sea in the east. Sahel comes from the Arabic and means "shore", which comes from the often drawn comparison of the Sahara desert with a sea. The Sahel zone is characterized by strong seasonal differences in terms of climate and vegetation. While savannah-like vegetation flourishes in the rainy season and agriculture can be practiced intensively, many rivers dry up in the dry season and pronounced droughts often occur. Nomadism and migrant grazing are therefore widespread, and the supply situation is often unstable. Several countries in the Sahel are among the poorest in the world.
countries
Countries in the Sahel region

The following countries are largely located in the Sahel zone (the north of each country is still in the Sahara, while the south is partly in the savannah zone):

Cities

The capitals of the North African countries are:

literature
  • Leitess, Lucien (Ed.): Journey to the Sahara: a cultural compass for hand luggage. Zurich: Unionsverlag, 2009, Unionsverlag-Taschenbuch; 471, ISBN 978-3-293-20471-3 .
mobility

In the 1990s they were Tanezrouft and especially the Hoggar slope the most popular routes to cross the Sahara. In recent years, the easiest route to cross the Sahara has become the drive over Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania established. Not least because of a newly built road, driving through is now very easy and also possible without a four-wheel drive car.

In the east there is the only possibility of overland from Egypt out in the Sudan to enter: by ferry from Abu Simbel to Qustul and further after Wādī Ḥalfā or on the west side of the lake at on the tarred road from Abu Simbel to Argeen in Sudan (and further to Dongola).

Anyone planning a crossing should definitely find out about the current situation beforehand and ask the Foreign Office or the relevant competent authority. It can also happen quickly that a border is closed at short notice due to incidents on site. Unfortunately, a traverse along the Mediterranean coast is due to the situation in Algeria (closed borders after Morocco) and Libya (Driver compulsion) no longer possible without further ado.

The easiest way to travel is with your own vehicle. But on the main transit roads you can also take buses or hitchhikers with trucks or other travelers without any problems. Various routes have also been covered by bike (Bike tour Western Sahara). Of course, it is also nice to fly by plane. Since the weather is mostly nice, you can see a lot of the landscape, unless it is a long-haul flight at high altitude.
Other goals