The Sahara Desert is the world's la

The Sahara Desert is the world's largest and hottest desert. It covers over 8.6 million sq km, and is believed to have been established over 5 million years ago during the Pliocene Epoch time period. The Sahara extends from the the Atlantic Ocean on the west, the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea on the north, the Red Sea and Egypt on the east, and the Sudan and the valley of the Niagara (wiki is recognizing this as a bad word and bleeping it out) River on the south. It is the largest warm-climate desert on Earth and occupies approximately 10 percent of the African Continent. The ecoregion includes the hyper-arid central portion of the Sahara where rainfall is minimal and sporadic. When the rain does fall in the Sahara Desert, it quickly vaporizes before hitting the ground due to the intense temperature.