FIGURE2 Distribution of the world’s deserts
Arctic Circle
60°N
60°N
NORTH AMERICA
EUROPE
2
1
11
Gobi
Turkestan
4
North American
10
1
Takla Makan
ASIA
Iranian
30°N
30°N
13
Thar
Tropic of Cancer
Arabian
Sahara
5
AFRICA
Equator
0°
0°
SOUTH AMERICA
Atacama
12
Namib
8
AUSTRALIA Australian
Tropic of Capricorn
6
Kalahari
KEY
30°S
30°S
Hot desert
9
Cold desert
Patagonian
Mountains or highlands
0
2500
5000 km
Cold ocean current
60°S
60°S
Antarctic Circle
7
ANTARCTICA
Source: MAPgraphics Pty Ltd, Brisbane
1 Gobi Desert: Asia’s largest desert is a cold desert. Situated 900 metres above sea level, it covers around 1.2 million square kilometres. Its winters can be freezing. 2 Turkestan Desert: The cold Turkestan Desert covers parts of south-western Russia and the Middle East. 3 Arabian Desert: This is a hot desert, and as big as Australia’s deserts. To the south is Rub al-Khali (meaning ‘empty quarter’), which has the largest area of unbroken sand dunes, or ergs (shifting sand dunes), in the world. 4 Takla Makan Desert: The Takla Makan (‘place of no return’) Desert is a cold desert in western China. The explorer Marco Polo crossed it some 800 years ago. 5 Thar Desert: The Thar Desert is a hot desert covering north-western parts of India and Pakistan. Small villages of around 20 houses dot the landscape. 6 Kalahari and Namib deserts: The Namib Desert extends for 1200 metres along the coasts of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. It seldom rains, but early-morning fog from the ocean often leaves dew behind, providing moisture for plants and animals. It joins the Kalahari Desert, which is about 1200 metres above sea level. 7 Antarctic Desert: The world’s biggest and driest desert, the continent of Antarctica is a cold desert. Only snow falls there, equivalent to about 50 millimetres of rain per year. 8 Atacama Desert: The Atacama Desert is the driest hot desert in the world. Its annual average rainfall is a tiny 0.1 millimetre. 9 Patagonian Desert: The summer temperature of this cold desert rarely rises above 12 ° C. In winter, it is likely to be well below zero, with freezing winds and snowfall. 10 Iranian Desert: Two large deserts extend over much of central Iran. The Dasht-i-Lut is covered with sand and rock, and the Dasht-i-Kavir is covered in salt. Both have virtually no human population. 11 North American deserts: The desert region in North America is made up of the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts (all hot deserts) and the Great Basin (a cold desert). The Great Basin’s deepest depression, Death Valley, is the lowest point in North America. 12 Australian deserts: After Antarctica, Australia is the driest continent in the world. Its deserts are generally flat lands, often vibrant in colour. 13 Sahara Desert: The largest hot desert in the world, the Sahara covers around 9 million square kilometres over 12 countries across northern Africa. Only a small part is sandy. It is the sunniest place in the world.
TOPIC13 Landforms and landscapes – diversity, significance and management 321
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