The Sahara is a desert on the African Continent. It is the third-largest desert in the world. The first two are the deserts of the Arctic and Antarctica. The desert covers most of North Africa and has been inhabited by numerous people groups spanning thousands of years. European colonialism began in the 19th century with the countries of Spain, France, and Britain. The Sahara region had been divided into several countries but they were colonized by European powers. Britain began protecting Egypt including Sudan in 1882.