Sahel
- See also Sahel, Tunisia, a region of eastern Tunisia.\n----
The
Sahel (from
Arabic ساحل sahil for shore or border) is the boundary zone in
Africa between the
Sahara to the north and the more fertile region to the south, known as the
Sudan (not to be confused with the country of the same name).
The Sahel is primarily
savanna and runs from the
Atlantic Ocean to the
Horn of Africa. Over the history of Africa the region has been home to some of the most advanced kingdoms benefiting from trade across the desert. Collectively these states are known as the
Sahelian kingdoms.
The countries of the Sahel today include
Senegal,
Mauritania,
Mali,
Burkina Faso,
Niger,
Nigeria,
Chad,
Sudan,
Ethiopia,
Eritrea,
Djibouti, and
Somalia. Sahel is also used to refer to the countries of West-Africa.
The Sahel receives 150-500 mm (6-20 in) of rainfall a year, primarily in the
monsoon season. The rainfall is characterized by year to year and decadal variability.
There is a strong correlation between rainfall in the Sahel and intense
hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
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