REGION

The Sahel is a region of northern Africa that stretches from the Atlantic coast of Senegal and Mauritania to the Pacific coast of the Horn of Africa. This diverse and fragile region is the transition zone between the parched Sahara to the north and the more humid tropical forests to the south. In fact, in Arabic the word Sahel means "border," "shore" or “coast,” which alludes to its border-like presence across the continent. This belt of land encompasses the symbolic melting pot of cultures where traditional beliefs merged with Islam and Christianity. But over centuries of population growth, the Sahel has been damaged by over farming, over grazing, and drought. The most devastated of these areas—such as in the countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—need LandCare International’s help the most. Much of this land that was once green with the grasses and trees of a healthy savanna now resembles a rocky, barren terrain. The rich topsoil has been cast away by wind and the violent monsoon rains, reducing large parts of this land to a flat, gravel floor that radiates the heat from the sun back up into the air. Red, iron rich dirt, inhospitable to crops, makes up part of this hard crust. Still, ome patches of sand and brush vary the landscape and bits of forest and grassland still survive, providing a foundation for future recovery. Some hearty trees, like neem and acacia, grow well on arid landscapes and still provide shade to the rare passer-by.

FURTHER READING ON THE SAHEL REGION:

United States Geological Survey

NASA's Earth Observatory

New York Times Article "In Niger, Trees and Crops Turn Back the Desert"

www.pbs.org/.../ sahel_recipes_lo.html