World Deserts

When someone says the word “desert,” it’s almost certain that you immediately picture the stereotype depicted in movies and other forms of popular culture: Sand as far as the eye can see in all directions, no plants with the possible exception of cactus or two, a total absence of water and an abundance of searing sunlight.

Deserts are characterized by extreme environmental conditions. They get at most 50 centimetres (cm), or 20 inches, a year of rainfall; more commonly, they’re lucky to get half of that. Most of them are found at low latitudes, that is, closer to the equator than to the poles.

While they are far less densely populated than other biomes.Most deserts do feature a range of vegetation as well as both vertebrate and invertebrate animal life.

Types of Deserts:

Types of Deserts	Description
Subtropical Deserts	These regions are characterized by mostly warm to very hot temperatures with cooler winters. They receive extremely low amounts of rainfall. These deserts tend to have very few plants and animals. For example: Sahara, Arabian, Kalahari, Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahua, Thar.
Coastal Deserts	Cool coastal deserts are found in more moderately cool to warm climates. These areas tend to have mild, cool winters and prolonged, moderate summers. They can usually be found near large bodies of water and/or mountainous regions. For example: Namib, Atacama.
Cold Deserts	Cold winter deserts are also commonly referred to as semi-arid deserts. These deserts do have cold, dry winters – sometimes with temperatures brutally below the freezing point. These cold winter deserts are generally found at higher altitudes. For example: Great basin, Karakum, Gobi, Kyzyl-Kum, Patagonian.
Polar Deserts	Polar deserts are characterized by annual precipitation of less than 250 millimetres and a mean temperature during the warmest month of the year of less than 10°C. Today, only two major polar deserts remain, but they account for a significant share of Earth’s total desert climates. For example: Arctic, Antarctic.

List of the largest deserts in the world by area:

It includes all deserts above 19,300 sq. mi.

Desert Fauna and Flora:

The plants and animals that live in a desert must be adapted to the environment.

Plants	Plants must be very tolerant to intense sun, prolonged periods without precipitation, and have an ability to prevent moisture loss to conditions of severe temperature ranges, dry winds, and low humidity. For example: Barrel Cactus, Saguaro Cactus, Baseball Plant
Animals	Animals must be able to tolerate temperature extremes, temperature ranges, and have an ability to survive with very little water. Many animals adapt to desert conditions by living underground and being active at night. For example: kangaroo rats, lizards, camel, etc

Interesting Facts:

• Around one-third of the earth’s surface is covered in deserts.
• The overall size of deserts is increasing. Around 46,000 square miles of land are turned into desert every year. This is as a result of climate change and human activities like clearing forests.
• The largest hot desert in the world is the Sahara. It covers an area of 9.4 square kilometres and spans 12 North African countries.
• The smallest desert in the world is the Carcross Desert. Located in Yukon, Canada, this desert is just 1 square mile (2.6 km2) in size.
• The driest desert in the world is the Atacama Desert in Chile.
• The coldest desert in the world is the Antarctic desert. The average winter temperature is -49°C. However, in 2010, a temperature of -94.7°C was recorded.