desert

THE DESERT: 

THE DESERT Desert, term applied to regions of the Earth that are characterized by less than about 250 mm (10 in) of annual rainfall, and, in most cases, an evaporation rate that exceeds precipitation, and a high average temperature. Because of a lack of moisture in the soil and low humidity in the atmosphere, most of the sunlight penetrates to the ground. Daytime temperatures can reach 55° C (131° F) in the shade. At night the desert floor radiates heat back to the atmosphere, and the temperature can drop to near freezing. Deserts are caused by a combination of climate patterns, geological features, and human impact . Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

CAMAL: 

CAMAL A series of impressive water conservation adaptations makes it possible for some camels, Camelus dromedarius , to go for a long time without drinking. Body temperature, for example, can rise by 6 to 8° C (11 to 14.5° F) to minimize sweating. Pouches in the stomach store water, releasing it as the camel needs it. A thirsty camel can consume as much as 120 litres (25 gallons) of water to replenish its reserves .

CACTUS: 

CACTUS Saguaro National Park in Arizona includes forests of saguaro cacti or giant desert cacti. The saguaro cactus can live to be 200 years old, reach heights of around 15 m (50 ft) , and weigh as much as 9 metric tonnes . It grows extremely slowly, however, and after 50 years it may only be 2.1 m (7 ft) tall.

World Desert Regions : 

World Desert Regions Most deserts arise due to atmospheric wind conditions. Warm air masses created two belts of desert, one along the Tropic of Cancer and the other along the Tropic of Capricorn. Other deserts result from the effects of ocean currents on landmasses, where cool air masses carry fog and mist, but little rain, along coastal reagions .

Arabian Desert: 

Arabian Desert Arabian Desert or Eastern Desert, arid region, eastern Egypt, lying between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez to the east, the Nubian Desert (along latitude 22° N) to the south, and the River Nile to the west. The western edge of the desert is demarcated by cliffs that rise steeply from the Nile Valley. To the east the terrain, mostly a rugged plateau, slopes upwards to a range of jagged volcanic mountains bordering the Red Sea. Elevations in the range, which descends abruptly to the sea, exceed 2,135 m (7,000 ft). Aridity makes human settlement difficult, but a few small agricultural villages subsist in little basins in the plateau and mountains. Deposits of turquoise, phosphate rock, nitrates, oil, salt, and building stone are found in the desert, but are of limited economic significance. The name Arabian Desert is also popularly applied to the Rub‘ al Khali ('Empty Quarter'), also called the Great Sandy Desert, of the Arabian Peninsula. The Rub‘ al Khali is one of the hottest and most sparsely inhabited sand dune deserts in the world.

Thar Desert Camel Train: 

Thar Desert Camel Train Camel drivers cross rolling sandhills in the Thar Desert, which extends from India into Pakistan. Irrigation schemes have reclaimed parts of the northern and western desert, but otherwise population is sparse. India detonated its first nuclear device here in 1974.

Mount Sinai: 

Mount Sinai This road at Mount Sinai winds its way to Bir Zreir , Egypt. The Old Testament regards Mount Sinai, sometimes called Horeb , as the sacred mountain on which Moses received the Ten Commandments from Jehovah. The Sinai Peninsula is the most mountainous area of Egypt, containing the highest points in the country . .

Camel Rider, Egypt : 

Camel Rider, Egypt Camels are no longer relied upon as mounts as they once were, and riders like the one pictured here at the Giza Pyramids outside Cairo use the animals more for recreation than utility. Modern Egypt has both sedentary urban and nomadic traditions, relics of its long history of intermingling between Arab invaders and native inhabitants of the Nile Valley region. Most of the land area of the country is desert, making the camel an ideal mount for long-distance travel even within recent times.

Egyptian Bedouins : 

Egyptian Bedouins Bedouins, the nomadic Arabs who live in the desert areas of Egypt, typify the Arab share of the population. Arabs entered the region after the conquest of Egypt by the caliphate of Islam. Bedouins and other nomads roam the vast deserts of Egypt, which occupy over 90 per cent of the land area. They depend on their livestock for food. The majority of the Egyptian population, over 99 per cent, lives in the cramped cultivated zone along the Nile Valley.

Sand Dunes in the Namib Desert: 

Sand Dunes in the Namib Desert The Namib Desert runs the entire length of Namibia’s coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Cold offshore currents keep the temperate desert relatively cool and dry. The southern stretch of the mineral-rich Namib eventually links with the Kalahari Desert .

Sahara Desert : 

Sahara Desert The Sahara Desert extends from coast to coast along the northern portion of the African continent. It is the largest desert in the world. The Sahara can be divided into three regions: the rocky yet fertile plains of the west, the mountain ranges of the central plateau, and the arid sand dunes of the Libyan Desert in the east .

Libyan Desert : 

Libyan Desert Libya is one of the largest countries in Africa, encompassing 1,759,540 sq km (679,362 sq mi) of territory. The land is barren with little precipitation. Camels are valuable in this arid desert region because of their ability to subsist without water for several days.

Major Deserts of Australia : 

Major Deserts of Australia This map shows the arid and non-arid zones of Australia and identifies main deserts within the country's provinces. The Great Sandy Desert is in Western Australia.

Uluru: 

Uluru Uluru, also called Ayers Rock, is one of the most dramatic features of Australia's Northern Territory. With a basal circumference of around 9.4 km (5˜ mi) and rising to a height of 348 m (1,142 ft) high, it is thought to be one of the largest rock masses in the world. Rock paintings made thousands of years ago by Aboriginal artists cover the walls of many caves at Uluru .

Kata Tjuta : 

Kata Tjuta These natural formations rise from the desert plains in a 28-sq-km (11-sq-mi) region within Uluru National Park, in the south-western Northern Territory of Australia. Australian Aborigines refer to the circular grouping of more than 30 red rocks as Kata Tjuta , meaning “place of many heads”. Also called the Olgas , the rocks display beautiful colour changes as the sun moves through the sky and illuminates different pockets of vegetation living in deep crevices. Kata Tjuta attracts tourists, hikers, and climbers.

Nullarbor Plain, South Australia : 

Nullarbor Plain, South Australia Stretching along the Great Australian Bight into Western Australia and some 400 km (250 mi) inland, the Nullarbor Plain is an arid, virtually uninhabited limestone plateau. Its name, which means “no trees”, reflects the lack of surface water and vegetation in the area. Beneath the plain’s surface are remarkable cave and tunnel systems which contain valuable geological information about ancient Australia. The road sign warns motorists to watch out for local wildlife, including camels. Australia has some of the world’s largest herds of wild camels, the descendants of Arabian camels brought to the country between 1840 and 1907 to provide transport through its many desert areas .

NAMIB DESERT: 

NAMIB DESERT The Namib Desert, stretching over 1,900 km (1,200 mi) along the coast of Namibia in south-west Africa, receives less than two inches of rain a year, as a result of the effects of the cold Benguela Current. This region has sparse vegetation and few people.

Western Australian Diamond Mine : 

Western Australian Diamond Mine The Argyle Diamond Mine in the Kimberleys region of Western Australia is one of the world’s great sources of diamonds. Since the discovery of diamonds in 1979, Australia is now the world’s foremost supplier of the stone by volume .