Cold Deserts

Cold Deserts

The main form of precipitation in a cold desert is snow -- but only 10 inches or less per year.

Cold Deserts of the World

Name Location Size Physical
Features Examples of
Plants &
Animals Special Facts

Atacama Coasts of Peru and Chile 54,000 mi²
140,000 km²
Covered by sand dunes and pebbles. One of the driest areas on earth. Bunchgrass, Cardon Cactus, Tamaruga Trees
Lizards, Llama, Peruvian Fox, nesting area for many seabirds

Only a few thousand people (mostly farmers) live in the inland desert areas.
Large deposits of sodium nitrate found in the desert (sodium nitrate is used to make gunpowder)

Gobi Northern China and Southern Mongolia 450,000 mi²
1,200,000 km²
Covered by sandy soil and areas of small stones called "gobi." camel's thorn, grasses
bactrian bamel, gazelle, gerbil, jerboa, lizards, onager, wolf

Crossed by Genghis Khan in the early 13th century. Many nomads now settling on government-run farms.

Great Basin Western United States (Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah) 158,000 mi²
411,000 km²
Covered by sand, gravel, and clay.
Many moutains ranges, basins, and large expanses of salt flats.
greasewood, sagebrush, shadscale
bighorn sheep, jackrabbit, pocket mouse, poor-will, pronghorn antelope, sage thrasher, side-blotched lizard

Great Salt Lake located here.

Iranian Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan 150,000 mi²
390,000 km²
Covered by coarse gray soil, stony pavement, and salt flats. grasses, pistachio trees, shrubs
monitor lizard, onager, oryx, scorpion

World's largest salt flat located here.

Namib Coasts of Southwestern Africa 52,000 mi²
135,000 km²
Covered by sand dunes along the coast and gravel farther inland. aloe, bunchgrass, lichens, welwitschia
darkling beetle, fringe-toed lizard, golden mole, jackal, sidewinder, viper, web-footed gecko

Coast of the Namib Desert is world's greatest source of gemstones.

Takla Makan Western China 600,000 mi²
1,600,000 km²
Covered by sand dunes and rocky soil. grasses, shrubs
bactrian camel, jerboa, long-eared hedgehog, gazelle

The word "Takla Makan" means "place from which there is no return."
Crossed by Marco Polo in the 13th Century.

Turkestan Parts of the Middle East and Southwestern Russia 215,000 mi²
559,000 km²
Covered mostly by extensive stretches of sand dunes. alhagi shrub, saxaul tree, sedges, thick ground cover
desert tortoise, gazelle, gerbil, saiga antelope

Crossed by caravans following silk route from China in Europe in ancient times.
The great city of Samarkand, once a cultural and religious center of central Asia, was located here.

Cold Deserts of the World
Name	Location	Size	Physical Features	Examples of Plants & Animals	Special Facts
Atacama	Coasts of Peru and Chile	54,000 mi² 140,000 km²	Covered by sand dunes and pebbles. One of the driest areas on earth.	Bunchgrass, Cardon Cactus, Tamaruga Trees Lizards, Llama, Peruvian Fox, nesting area for many seabirds	Only a few thousand people (mostly farmers) live in the inland desert areas. Large deposits of sodium nitrate found in the desert (sodium nitrate is used to make gunpowder)
Gobi	Northern China and Southern Mongolia	450,000 mi² 1,200,000 km²	Covered by sandy soil and areas of small stones called "gobi."	camel's thorn, grasses bactrian bamel, gazelle, gerbil, jerboa, lizards, onager, wolf	Crossed by Genghis Khan in the early 13th century. Many nomads now settling on government-run farms.
Great Basin	Western United States (Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah)	158,000 mi² 411,000 km²	Covered by sand, gravel, and clay. Many moutains ranges, basins, and large expanses of salt flats.	greasewood, sagebrush, shadscale bighorn sheep, jackrabbit, pocket mouse, poor-will, pronghorn antelope, sage thrasher, side-blotched lizard	Great Salt Lake located here.
Iranian	Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan	150,000 mi² 390,000 km²	Covered by coarse gray soil, stony pavement, and salt flats.	grasses, pistachio trees, shrubs monitor lizard, onager, oryx, scorpion	World's largest salt flat located here.
Namib	Coasts of Southwestern Africa	52,000 mi² 135,000 km²	Covered by sand dunes along the coast and gravel farther inland.	aloe, bunchgrass, lichens, welwitschia darkling beetle, fringe-toed lizard, golden mole, jackal, sidewinder, viper, web-footed gecko	Coast of the Namib Desert is world's greatest source of gemstones.
Takla Makan	Western China	600,000 mi² 1,600,000 km²	Covered by sand dunes and rocky soil.	grasses, shrubs bactrian camel, jerboa, long-eared hedgehog, gazelle	The word "Takla Makan" means "place from which there is no return." Crossed by Marco Polo in the 13th Century.
Turkestan	Parts of the Middle East and Southwestern Russia	215,000 mi² 559,000 km²	Covered mostly by extensive stretches of sand dunes.	alhagi shrub, saxaul tree, sedges, thick ground cover desert tortoise, gazelle, gerbil, saiga antelope	Crossed by caravans following silk route from China in Europe in ancient times. The great city of Samarkand, once a cultural and religious center of central Asia, was located here.