Algerian Desert

Algerian Desert الصحراء الجزائرية
Sand dunes of Algeria
Map of the Algerian arid desert
Geography
Country	Algeria
Climate type	Arid desert

The Algerian Desert (Arabic: الصحراء الجزائرية, romanized: al-Saḥrā' al-Jazā'iriyah) is a desert located in central North Africa within Algeria, constituting part of the Sahara. The desert covers more than 90% of Algeria's total area.^[1] In 2018, it was home to a population of 3,600,000 inhabitants, or 10.5% of the Algerian population.^[2]

Its expansion starts from the Saharan Atlas as a stony desert, gradually changing into a sand dune desert inland. The plateau of the Tassili n'Ajjer is located in the southeast, and its outstanding collection of prehistoric rock art saw it added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982.^[3] Cities and towns such as Ouargla, Adrar, and particularly In Salah are among the hottest places in the Sahara. Annual average rainfall is well above 100 mm (3.9 in) in the northernmost part but the center and the southern part receive much less than 50 mm (2.0 in).