desert People
Living in the Desert
Deserts have very little rainfall in a year--usually less than 10 inches (25 cm). Because there is very little moisture in the air to hold onto the heat from the hot days, desert nights tend to be very cold. Taken together, the extreme temperature fluctuations and lack of water make the desert environment a very harsh one in which to live especially to a human.
People Adapting to these conditions
People live in tents and mud houses. They raise sheep, goats and camels. They eat dates from palm trees and drink goat milk. Cheese made from goat and sheep milk is also a staple in their diet. People living in the desert are nomadic and move frequently in search of water. They wear white flowing robes and turbans to protect their head and eyes against the blazing sun. Oases in the desert are few and far between and this is where trading activities are carried out. People trade wool, animals skins and even buy and sell animals. These adaptation are very necessary and has proven success which is evident as there are still people living in the desert.
The nomadic Berbers are the fiercely independent people of the northern Africa sub Sahara who predate the Arab cultures. The name Berber, given to them by the Romans, comes from the Latin Barbar which means barbarian. They originally inhabited the lands of the Jafara plain in north-western Libya, with Zuara as their main center. During various Arab invasions, however, they were gradually driven back into the Jabal Nafusa area. Their language has survived intact, together with an individuality of cultural style, particularly in the field of architecture known as troglodyte structures. Today's Berbers continue to live a completely separate life from the rest of the Libyan population, and maintain their very different culture with a sense of pride. A living example of Desert Society still functioning. |