Most of the Saharan people are nomads who tend herds of sheep, goats, camels, and cattle. They occupy fairly distinct areas and travel systematically to use seasonally available water and pastures. Some tribes of nomads own land on the oases, but other people farm the land for them. Most of the settlements on the oases have fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. The people grow dates, barley, wheat, and other crops.
Some oases have thousands of date palm trees.
But in areas that lack enough water, a single tree may be shared by several owners. The Saharan people mainly use camels for transportation in the desert. The paved Trans-Saharan Highway crosses part of the desert from north to south in Algeria. Also in some areas, paved roads connect the principal oases. Motor vehicles can be driven across the desert along unpaved routes, but the crossing is difficult.