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GeographySurprise 4/5Difficulty 2/5Reviewed on September 17, 2026

The Sahara Desert is almost the size of the United States.

Why it is true

The Sahara covers about 9.2 million square kilometres, while the United States has approximately 9.8 million. Despite being a desert, the Sahara was once a green region with lakes and rivers thousands of years ago, as fossils and cave paintings show.

Source: National Geographic

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