WHERE ARE THE DESERTS?

The Arabian Desert

The Arabian Desert is the name used for all of the deserts on the Arabian Peninsula. Since most of the real names are Arabic, such as Al Jafurah and Rub al-Khali, it is easier for us to refer to it as the Arabian Desert. The Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter) is the largest continuous area of sand desert in the world.

The Gobi Desert

The Gobi Desert is in the country of Mongolia in Asia. It is the coldest desert you will study and the furthest north. The Gobi is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The mountains block so much moisture that the desert receives only about eight inches of rainfall in a year.

THE SAHARA DESERT

The Sahara of North Africa is the world's largest desert. It is almost the same size as the United States. The Sahara touches ten different countries in Africa. The name "Sahara" comes from the Arabic word for desert.

The American Southwest Desert

The desert area of the American Southwest is in the United States and Mexico in North America. A long chain of mountains runs all the way from Alaska to the Antarctic Ocean along the western sides of North and South America. In the United States and Canada, they are the Rocky Mountains. In Mexico, they call them the Sierra Madre Mountains. In South America, they are called the Andes Mountains. Just north of the Tropic of Cancer, the deserts of the American Southwest are located around the Rocky Mountains.