The Sahara covers over a third of the African continent. It is approximate 9 million km² large, a size of about four fifth of Europe. Thus, is it is the largest desert on earth. It is located in the north of Africa and extends from the Atlantic coast to the coast of the Red Sea. It forms approximately a trapezoid of 4,500 to 5,500 km from west to east and of 1,500 to 2,000 km from north to south. The Saraha covers parts of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, West Sahara, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Niger, Mauritania, Mali and Chad; and it separates the Mediterranean world from Black Africa.