Cameroon
Sand Origin
Mayo Kaliao in Maroua
Random Sand Fact
In Maroua, in northern Cameroon, the rivers look like wide sandy roads for most of the year.
The rivers are called mayos, and they run straight through town. Only in the rainy season, a few months a year, does water flow on the surface. The rest of the year, the riverbeds are dry. Cattle wander along them, and young people play football.
But the river has not gone. The water keeps flowing through the sand, a little way down in the riverbed. Dig a hole, and you reach it. In the dry season, it is often the only source of water for the people living along the rivers.
