Sahel

Sahel
Throughout the Sahel, rammed earth construction is widespread, as exemplified by this medieval mosque in Burkina Faso Sahel savanna and its namesake acacias at the beginning of the short summer rainy season
The Sahel region in Africa: a belt up to 1,000 km (620 mi) wide that spans 5,400 km (3,360 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea
Ecology
Realm	Afrotropical
Biome	Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Borders	List East Saharan montane xeric woodlands East Sudanian savanna Ethiopian montane forests Inner Niger Delta Lake Chad flooded savanna South Saharan steppe and woodlands Sudd flooded grasslands West Saharan montane xeric woodlands West Sudanian savanna
Animals	Camels, horses
Bird species	Migratory birds
Mammal species	Oryx, Gazelles, African buffalo
Geography
Area	3,053,200 km2 (1,178,800 sq mi)
Countries	List Burkina Faso Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Eritrea The Gambia Mali Mauritania Niger Nigeria Senegal South Sudan Sudan
Elevation	200 and 400 meters (660 and 1,310 ft)
Rivers	Senegal, Niger, Nile
Climate type	Tropical savanna climates (Aw), Hot Semi-arid (BSh), Hot Desert (BWh)

The Sahel region (/səˈhɛl/; from Arabic ساحل (sāḥil [ˈsaːħil]) 'coast, shore'), or Sahelian acacia savanna, is a biogeographical region in Africa. It is the transition zone between the more humid Sudanian savannas to its south and the drier Sahara to the north. The Sahel has a hot semi-arid climate and stretches across the southernmost latitudes of North Africa between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. Although geographically located in the tropics, the Sahel does not have a tropical climate.

Especially in the western Sahel, there are frequent shortages of food and water due to its very high government corruption and the semi-arid climate. This is exacerbated by very high birthrates across the region, resulting in a rapid increase in population. In recent times,^[when?] various coups, insurgencies, terrorism^[1] and foreign interventions have taken place in many Sahel countries, especially across former Françafrique.