The Sahel
The word “Sahel” means “border” or “margin”.
Location
• The Sahel is a strip of dry grassland that is located south of the Sahara.
• It is the region between the desert to the north and the grasslands and rain forest to the south.
Climate
• It is a dry, semi-arid region that is slowly turning into desert.
• The Sahel is relatively flat with few mountains and hills.
• It gets more rainfall than the desert, but still receives very little, ranging from 6-20 inches.
The People
• People have tried to live here but generations of overgrazing and desertification have caused soil erosion.
• Vegetation is sparse here—grasses are shrubs are unevenly distributed.
Sahel Region
Located below the Sahara Desert!
Desertifica-tion in the Sahel
The grasslands are slowly turning into desert!
Food Shortages in the Sahel
Soil erosion and drought are causes of famine in the Sahel region!