Sahara

(THE DESERT OF,) (sa-ha'rah.) [Ar., a desert.] Otherwise called THE GREAT DESERT, a vast extent of territory occupying the greater part of N. Africa, b. N. by the Barbary States, E. by Egypt and Nubia, S. by Soudan and Sene gambia, and W.by the Atlantic. Its estim. area is 2,500 sq. m., and it consists for the most part of immense plains of sand, diversified here and there by fertile tracts of small extent called oases. There are several caravan-routes acro the S.,by which commercial traffic is carried on with Timbuctoo and other places in Soudan. [s. 788]