The Sahel

The Sahel is a region in Africa that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. It is a strip of land between the hot Sahara Desert to the north and the greener areas to the south. The Sahel is mostly dry grassland.

Climate and Land

The Sahel has a short rainy season and a long dry season. It does not rain as much as in the forests to the south. The land is covered with grasses and scattered trees. When the rains fail, the land can become very dry and hard to farm.

People of the Sahel

Millions of people live in the Sahel. Many are farmers and herders. Countries in the Sahel include Mali, Niger, Chad, and Senegal. People here grow crops like millet and sorghum. Some herd cattle and goats, moving with their animals to find water and grass.

Fun Facts

• The Sahel stretches about 3,400 miles across Africa.
• The word Sahel comes from an Arabic word meaning shore or edge.
• The Sahel is home to animals like gazelles, ostriches, and elephants.

Did You Know?

A project called the Great Green Wall is planting millions of trees across the Sahel to stop the desert from spreading!