Hot Deserts of the World

Hot Deserts of the World

The main form of precipitation in a hot desert is rain. But that's only ten inches or less of rain per year.

Hot Deserts of the World
Name *Location*	Size	Physical Features	Some Plants & Animals	Special Facts
Arabian Arabian Peninsula	900,000 mi² 2,300,000 km²	Covered almost entirely by sand; has some of the most extensive stretches of sand dunes in the world.	acacia, oleander, saltbush desert locust, dromedary camel, gazelle, lizard, jackal, oryx	Nomadic Bedouin tribes have travelled through the Arabian Desert for thousands of years.
Australian (Great Sandy, Victoria, Simpson, Gibson, and Sturt) Australia	890,00 mi² 2,300,000 km² (1/3 of Australia)	Great Sandy, Victoria, and Simpson are sandy; Gibson and Sturt are stony.	acacia, casuarina tree, eucalyptus, saltbush, spinifex grass blue-tongued lizard, dingo, fat-tailed mouse, kangaroo, marsupial mole, rabbit-eared bandicoot, sand goanna, spinifex hopping mouse, throny devil	Aborigines have lived in the Australian deserts for over 30,000 years.
Chihuahuan North Central Mexico and Southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas)	175,000 mi² 455,000 km²	High plateau covered by stony areas and sandy soil. Many mountains and mesas.	cacti, chihuahuan flax, creosote bush, lechuguilla, mesquite, mexican gold poppy coyote, diamondback rattlesnake, javelina, kangaroo rat, roadrunner	Largest North American desert. Big Bend National Park located here; more species of birds seen in Big Bend than in any other National Park in the U.S.
Kalahari Southwestern Africa	200,000 mi² 520,000 km²	Covered by sand dunes and gravel plains.	acacia, aloe gazelle, gerbil, ground squirrel, hyena, jackel, sandgrouse, springbok	Bushman have lived in the Kalahari for 20,000 years.
Mojave Southwestern United States (Arizona, California, Nevada)	25,000 mi² 65,000 km²	Covered by sandy soil, gravelly pavement, and salt flats.	creosote bush, desert sand verbena, joshua tree, mesquite bighorn sheep, chuckwalla, coyote, jackrabbit, sidewinder, zebra-tailed lizard	Death Valley located in this desert.
Monte Argentina	125,000 mi² 325,000 km²	Covered by sand and soil	cardon cactus, creosote bush, paloverde armadillo, cavy, jaguarundi, puma, tinamou, tuco-tuco	Very similar to the Sonoran Desert
Sahara Northern Africa	3,500,000 mi² 9,100,000 km²	Covered by mountains, rocky areas, gravel plains, salt flats, huge areas of dunes. Areas in the central sometimes get no rain for years at a time.	acacia, grasses, tamarisks addax antelope, dorcas gazelle, fennec fox, horned viper, jackal, jerboa, sandgrouse, spiny-yailed lizard	Largest desert in the world. Fewer than 2 million inhabitants (mostly nomads such as the Tuareg). Crossed by Arab caravans since the 10th century.
Sonoran Southwestern United States (Arizona, California) and parts of Mexico (Baja Peninsula, Sonora)	120,000 mi² 312,000 km²	Covered by sand, soil, and gravelly pavement. Gets more rain than any other North American desert.	agave, coulter's globemallow, creosote bush, desert mariposa lily, mesquite, ocotillo, paloverde, saguaro coati, elf owl, gila monster, kangaroo rat, pack rat, roadrunner, sidewinder, tarantula	Most complex animal-plant community of any desert. One of the most beautiful deserts in the world.
Thar India and Pakistan	77,000 mi² 200,000 km²	Majority of desert covered by sand dunes; rest covered by gravel plains	acacia, euphorbias, grasses, shrubs black buck, dromedary camel, great Indian bustard, Indian spiny-tailed lizard, jackel, sandgrouse	Small villages of ten to twenty houses scattered throughout the Thar.

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