Where is the largest subtropical desert located? The largest deserts in the world

Conventionally, all the deserts of the world can be grouped into several categories.

• The hottest on the planet, with a completely scorched landscape and record-breaking rapid evaporation of moisture, are subtropical deserts.
• A feature of cool coastal deserts is that, being located in the same latitudes as subtropical ones, they have a cooler average temperature due to cold winds blowing from the oceans.
• A characteristic feature of cold winter deserts is the absolute temperature difference in different seasons, from almost forty degrees of heat in the summer to twelve degrees below zero in the winter.
• The deserts of the world also include the polar regions, since almost all the moisture in these areas is contained in a state of ice.

Mojave Desert - "Sahara of the New World"

The area of ​​the famous Mojave Desert, located on the territory of three southwestern North American states - Nevada, Arizona and California - is more than 139 thousand square kilometers. It is a huge plain of dried salt lakes and sand dunes, in some places intersected by ridges of low mountains.

The Mojave Desert annually attracts crowds of tourists who come to see the Death Valley that made it famous, which local Indians once nicknamed the “Burning Land.” In fact, this is a narrow strip of desert land, the air temperature in which reached record highs on the planet - fifty-eight degrees Celsius.

Despite the unfavorable natural conditions and not too much fertile soils, about two thousand plants grow in the desert and about a dozen species of animals are found. It is also home to several national parks and protected areas.

Arctic deserts - the kingdom of eternal ice and snow

A polar or ice desert, often also called the Arctic, is a desert area with extremely sparse vegetation, widespread among the ice and snow of the Arctic and Antarctic geographical zones of the planet.

This type of desert is characteristic of Greenland and the Arctic archipelago of Canada, as well as a number of other islands of the Arctic Ocean. In addition, large areas on the northern coast of the Eurasian continent and islands near Antarctica are covered with ice desert.

There are no transitional seasons in this area. During the polar night, the Arctic desert experiences a harsh and long winter, and during the polar day there is a cold and short summer. In winter, the temperature can sometimes drop to sixty degrees, while in summer it most often barely exceeds zero. During the short summer period, only small areas of land with rocky or marshy soil are cleared of snow. They grow lichens and mosses, rare flower plants. There are also very few representatives of the animal world capable of existing in such conditions (lemmings, arctic foxes, polar bears; among birds - guillemots, penguins and some others).

Desert of the Arabian Peninsula

The vast wilderness area that occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula (about 2,590 million square kilometers) is called the Arabian Desert. It is mainly located in Saudi Arabia, but extends to other countries (Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Qatar, UAE, Oman and Yemen).

The main part of this desert area is considered hyperarid. At the same time, the temperature in it ranges from extremely high daytime temperatures during the summer (sometimes up to fifty degrees hot) and to night frosts (slightly below zero) during the winter. In the Arabian Desert there are plants and animals adapted to an exceptionally dry climate and large temperature changes. Large animals typical for this area include oryx, gazelles, sand cats and spiny-tailed lizards.

Approximately a quarter of the Arabian Desert is occupied by the Rub al-Khali sand massif, the largest sandy area in the world.

Great Victoria - Australia's largest desert

The Great Victoria Desert is a sandy-salt marsh area with an area of ​​almost 650 thousand square kilometers, located in the central and southern parts of the Australian mainland. It is almost completely devoid of water sources. Its specific landscape is formed by sand ridges from ten to thirty meters high, which arise under the influence of strong winds.

This desert is characterized by an arid climate, extremely positive temperatures in winter and summer (from eighteen to forty degrees Celsius), the impossibility of snowfall, and frequent thunderstorms. Its traditional vegetation is eucalyptus, acacia, thorny bushes and grasses. About one hundred and twenty species of birds and a number of rare animals live here.

Red sands of Kyzylkum

The Kyzylkum desert (“red sands”), located between the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers on an area of ​​about 300 thousand square kilometers, belongs to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and partly Turkmenistan. This is a predominantly flat area, the soils of which are heterogeneous: high ridges of sand give way to salt marshes and clayey massifs, and sometimes there are rocks of low mountains.

The climate here is sharply continental. In Uzbekistan, Kyzylkum is considered the driest area. The average summer temperature is thirty degrees Celsius, winter - from zero to plus nine.

In spring, Kyzylkum blooms, covering itself with a bright carpet of short-lived flowers and herbs that disappear with the first rays of the scorching summer sun. The rest of the time, mainly shrubs (saxaul, cherkez and others) grow here. The most common animals in this area are jackals and steppe foxes. various types rodents, reptiles and snakes.

Atacama is the driest desert in the world

The South American Atacama, located along the coast of Chile in close proximity to Pacific Ocean. Its total area is about 105 thousand square kilometers. Mostly its territory is located in the mountains at a very high altitude.

The amount of precipitation that falls in the Atacama Desert per year averages 10 mmHg. This is negligible compared to all other deserts. It is recognized as 50 times drier than California's famous Death Valley. In many parts of it there has been no rain for several years. The level of solar radiation here is extremely high, and the possibility of life in some areas is almost zero.

Another important feature of this desert is the rich deposits of copper ore on its territory. The world's largest open-pit mines for the extraction of this mineral are located here.

Deserts occupy approximately 11% of the total land surface, including Antarctica, more than 20% or 16.5 million km. sq. (not including Antarctica) and are characterized a small amount precipitation, peculiar fauna, as well as sparseness or absence of flora. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the list of the ten largest deserts in the world. And if we made a mistake somewhere with the numbers, please write to us about it in the comments. Since the figures given in different sources differ.

Karakum

Karakum (translated as Black Sands) is a desert in Central Asia that occupies about 70% of the entire territory of Turkmenistan or 350,000 square kilometers. The longest irrigation canal in the world, the Karakum Canal, runs here.

The Great Sandy or Western Desert is Australia's second largest desert, covering an area of ​​about 360,000 km. kv. (approximately 3.5% of mainland Australia). Its region is sparsely populated, with only a few Aboriginal groups living there.

Chihuahua

Chihuahua - desert in North America, located on the border between the United States and Mexico. The area of ​​Chihuahua is approx. 362,000 km. kv. According to the World Fund wildlife“It is one of the most biologically diverse deserts in the world, inhabited by the largest number of animal species.

The Great Victoria Desert is Australia's largest desert, covering an area of 424,400 km. kv. and consisting of many sand dunes, grassy plains and salt lakes.

The Great Basin Desert is one of the largest deserts in the United States, covering an area 490,000 square kilometers.

The Patagonian Desert is one of the largest deserts in the world, located in South America mainly in Argentina and a small part of Chile. Covers an area of ​​approx. 673,000 km. kv. The desert is bordered in the west by the Andes and in the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

Kalahari

Kalahari - desert in South Africa area about 600 thousand km. kv, is the fourth largest desert in the world. It is located mainly on the territory of states such as Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and also partially invades the territory of Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It has lush vegetation and rich wildlife. The Kalahari is considered one of the hottest regions in Africa.

Gobi

Gobi means “waterless place” in Mongolian. This is a large desert in Central Asia with an area of 1,295,000 km. kv. Extends across China and Mongolia.

The Arabian Desert is located in Africa (Egypt) and is the northeastern part of the Sahara. It is located between the Nile River and the Red Sea. Due to strong winds, frequent sandstorms and high temperatures Most of the desert is completely uninhabited.

Sahara

Deserts are vast natural areas of both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, divided into several types according to their composition, occupy more than 16.5 million km 2, occupying more than 11 percent of all land. On Earth there are sandy and saline, clayey and rocky, and even snowy deserts.

Sahara – a huge desert with an area of ​​8600 km2, located on the territory of 11 countries. Despite the more common sandy type of territories, the surface of the Sahara does not belong to one specific category of deserts, since its areas cover all desert types, with the exception of snowy ones, which are a separate natural zone. Despite the popular belief that deserts are waterless, the Nile flows through the Sahara, the tributaries of which form a stable, permanent transit watercourse.

These vast, often lifeless spaces are inhabited by approximately 2.5 million people, usually local indigenous peoples and ethnic groups, basically leading a closed nomadic lifestyle, depending on seasonal changes.

2nd place

Libyan desert occupies an area of ​​2 million km 2, stretching over the territory of three states. Quite a few oases are inhabited by Berbers and Libyans, representing isolated centers of life whose main occupation is the cultivation of grain crops and fruit trees, as well as cattle breeding. There are numerous exits in the Libyan Desert groundwater, which significantly affect the life of the entire natural area.

3rd place

Nubian desert mostly located on the territory of Sudan, and to a lesser extent on the territory of Egypt, its total area is 1240 thousand km 2. In the northern part, sandy and rocky lands smoothly transform into the Arabian desert. The climate in this natural area causes the absence of precipitation for several years. Maximum temperature in these places it reaches 53 degrees. The Nubian Desert is home to up to 2.5 million people belonging to more than 20 different nationalities.

4th place

Gobi Desert , with an area of ​​1.3 million km 2, occupies vast territories of China and Mongolia. For several years, the Chinese government has been actively fighting the rapid advance of the desert, deciding to carry out artificial landscaping. Climatic changes in the Gobi Desert reach a difference of 100 degrees; with summer temperatures within 55°C, winter temperatures can reach -55°C.

Due to its extent and the difference in climatic biological conditions, the desert is not only actively populated, but has economic importance based on agriculture, mining natural resources and livestock farming.

Desert North American highlands The large basin occupies an area of ​​more than 500 thousand km 2, which, together with mountain ranges, reaches a size of 1036 thousand km 2. This is one of the driest places on the continent, representing almost lifeless spaces that are of particular interest to tourists who prefer to spend time in harmony with nature. But besides the main uninhabited territory in Big Basin located the city of Salt Lake City with a population exceeding 180 thousand, which became the capital Olympic Games in 2002.

Sandy desert of Rub al-Khali extends over 650 thousand km 2, occupying the territories of four states located in the Middle East. Almost completely lifeless spaces are used in rare cases for the extraction of gypsum, quartz and gravel; the absence of vegetation and water does not make development possible agriculture and livestock farming. This is one of the hottest and driest deserts in the world with the most constant climate indicators, with temperatures of 47°C stable for July and August.

Deserts are natural areas characterized by flat surfaces and little or no flora. They often contain quite specific fauna. Deserts can be sandy, rocky, clayey or saline. Snow (Arctic) ones are distinguished separately. There are nine types based on the nature of soil and soil, and three based on dynamic precipitation.

Sahara

Which one is the most big desert in the world? There are many of them on the planet. But there are not so many really large ones among them. And the largest desert in the world is the Sahara. It is located in the north - more than 8.5 million square meters. km. This is almost 1/3 of the continent. Despite the harsh conditions, approximately 2.5 million people live on its territory. But still, the population density there is the lowest on earth. The main peoples living on its territory are Berbers and Tuaregs.

Age of the Sahara Desert

Few people know that this desert is much “younger” than many people believe. It is generally accepted that the Sahara is five and a half thousand years old. Scientists have found that 6,000 years ago this desert “lived” - it had trees, gardens and a lot of lakes. But over time she changed. According to the latest research by the scientific community, the majority is inclined to believe that the Sahara “desertified” only 2.7 thousand years ago.

Territorial highlights

There are several states on the territory of the Sahara - Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Chad, Niger, Sudan and Research shows that the desert territory is unstable. It is constantly changing. Data have been obtained from satellites that the Sahara periodically increases or decreases.

Curious facts about the Sahara

In some places in this desert during the day you can fry eggs on the hot sand, and at night right there the thermometer can drop to minus ten. Therefore, in past centuries, trade caravans moved through the desert exclusively at night, and during the day they pitched tents and rested.

In addition to the usual information about the Sahara, there are many interesting facts. It also has one more feature - this is one of the few rare places on the planet where evaporation greatly exceeds precipitation: in the ratio from 2000 to 5000 mm/100 mm.

There is a huge underground lake under the Sahara, which is even larger than Lake Baikal, and the oases exist precisely because of it. There is not so much sand in the desert - only 1/5, and the rest of the territory is occupied by rocky land, and very little - sand and pebbles and simple

The desert sand cover is approximately 150 meters deep, and the largest sand dunes are similar in height to the Eiffel Tower. And if all of humanity is going to scoop up the sand of the Sahara, then each of them will have over 3 million buckets.

Strong winds constantly blow in the desert. There are only twenty calm days in the entire year. Khamsin is one of the most famous winds in the desert, translated as "fifty", which refers to how quickly it blows. Interestingly, this coincides with the Egyptian wind season, which lasts the same number of days.

Mirages

The largest desert in the world has an interesting phenomenon - mirages, which were previously considered to occur anywhere, but it turns out that they have a permanent location. And today there is even a special map on which they are plotted.

What’s also interesting is what comes with it full description mirage in this place - a palace, a well, a mountain range, an oasis, a palm grove. Each of them is basically permanent. Every year there are up to 160 thousand of them. Mirages can have several options - wandering, vertical, stable and horizontal.

Flora and fauna of the Sahara

The plants here are mainly subshrubs and shrubs. On the south side there are ephemeroids and ephemera. Animals move quickly, with the ability to dig sand (having hair brushes, claws, and bristles on their paws).

The largest desert on earth is famous for a place called Death Valley. It is considered the hottest and driest place on earth.

Despite the harsh living conditions, the Sahara is home to many species of flora and fauna: 545 plants, 12 amphibians, 13 fish (in oasis lakes), and more than 80 mammals and reptiles.

The largest deserts in the world: captivating and dangerous

The Sahara is not the only large desert in the world; there are others almost equal to it. There are nine more large deserts on our planet. All of them are smaller in area than the Sahara, but in relation to the others they are much larger. On every continent there is a similar representative of the area.

The largest desert in the world after the Sahara is the Arabian. Its territory is 2,330,000 square meters. m. And it captures the territories of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan and Syria. This desert is mostly uninhabited due to strong winds and sandstorms, and the temperature fluctuations here are quite large. An egg can fry in sand in just 10 minutes. And at night even the stones crack due to the cold.

The Gobi Desert is located in the lands of China and Mongolia. Bert originated from the Altai mountains. Its territory is 166,000 square meters. km. If you translate its name, it will sound like “waterless place.”

The Australian desert is the next largest desert on the planet by area (647,000 sq. km). It is here that you can find the famous red dunes, whose height reaches 40 meters.

Kalahari means “tormenting”. Its territory is 600 thousand square meters. km. But its area is constantly increasing, capturing the territories of Botswana, Angola, Zambabwe and Zambia.

Karakum means “black sands”. Its territory is 350 thousand square meters. km. The height of the ridges can reach 60 meters. This desert is located over most of Turkmenistan. Due to the shallow vegetation that prevails there, local residents have adapted it as a pasture for livestock.

Taklamakan is located in Central Asia, its territory is 337,600 square meters. km. There in 2008 not only very low temperatures were observed, but even snowfall!

Many people wonder which desert is the largest among the salt deserts? To this we can answer that Salar da Uyuni is considered the greatest in the world. On its territory, salt amounts to billions of tons. And the passing rains, dissolving it, turn the desert into a huge mirror.

The Atacama is the largest desert in Chile. This is the driest place on earth. The plants, however, were able to adapt, developing their own ways of surviving in this place. During drought, they even refuse the functions of reproduction and growth.

Antarctica is the largest desert in the world made of ice. Its area is over 14 million square meters. km. And surprisingly, this particular desert is considered the driest place on the planet. There is an explanation - all the moisture is “dried up” by the cold, and precipitation here does not exceed 4 cm per year. And the year 1983 was marked by its lowest temperature - 89 degrees Celsius.

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