Menu

Search the site →

Deserts

Dry, sandy places with very little rain, like the Sahara and Gobi deserts, where special plants and animals have learned to survive in extreme heat.

Arabian Desert
Arabian Desert
Continent Asia
Fun Fact The desert's geology is linked to the Red Sea's formation, with the Arabian plate moving northwards.
Atacama Desert
Atacama Desert
Country Chile
Continent South America
Fun Fact Northern Chile and the Atacama Desert in particular is the world’s largest natural supply of Sodium Nitrate, which can be used for producing fertilizers and explosives amongst other things. Mining of this mineral, also called Chile saltpeter.
Gobi Desert
Gobi Desert
Country Mongolia
Continent Asia
Fun Fact The Gobi Desert stands as the largest desert in Asia, sprawling over an impressive area of 1.3 million square kilometers. This vast desert is not only the largest in Asia but also ranks as the fifth largest desert in the world, a testament to its immense scale and the diversity of landscapes it encompasses.
Great Victoria Desert
Great Victoria Desert
Country Australia
Continent Oceania
Fun Fact The Great Victoria Desert is Australia's largest dune desert and the seventh-largest desert in the world. It spans over 700 kilometers from west to east.
Kalahari Desert
Kalahari Desert
Continent Africa
Fun Fact The Kalahari Desert covers much of Botswana, the eastern third of Namibia and the northernmost part of the Northern Cape Province in South Africa.
Karakum Desert
Karakum Desert
Country Turkmenistan
Continent Asia
Fun Fact The Karakum Desert, meaning "Black Sand," covers most of Turkmenistan, known for its vast sand dunes, extreme temperatures (hot summers, cold winters), and sparse, drought-resistant life, with a rich history tied to the Silk Road and significant natural gas reserves, while facing challenges like water scarcity, partly addressed by the Karakum Canal.
Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
Country United States
Continent North America
Fun Fact One of the most impressive attributes of the Mojave Desert is its elevational range, from 86 m below mean sea level in Death Valley to over 1,600 m above sea level on some mountains, a greater range than any other North American desert.
Patagonian Desert
Patagonian Desert
Country Argentina
Continent South America
Fun Fact Introducing the great Patagonian “titanosaur”, an unnamed dinosaur that may be the largest creature to ever roam planet Earth. Scientists say it could have weighed more than 69 tons. The remains of the dinosaur were discovered in 2012 in Neuquén, Argentina, in northwest Patagonia.
Sahara Desert
Sahara Desert
Continent Africa
Fun Fact At 3.6 million square miles, the Sahara Desert is as big as China or the U.S.A.
Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
Country United States
Continent North America
Fun Fact It is lush in comparison to most other deserts. Two visually dominant life forms of plants distinguish the Sonoran Desert from the other North American deserts: legume trees and columnar cacti. It also supports many other life forms encompassing a rich spectrum of some 2,000 species of plants.
Syrian Desert
Syrian Desert
Country Syria
Continent Asia
Fun Fact The Syrian Desert is home to the ancient city of Palmyra and the earliest surviving Christian church at Dura Europos.
Thar Desert
Thar Desert
Country India
Continent Asia
Fun Fact The Thar Desert is the most widely populated desert in the world, with a population density of 83 people per km2.