Sahara Desert

Deserts in Sahara Desert, Libya

The world's largest desert aside from Antarctica, the Sahara is bounded in the North by the Atlas mountains and covers 8.6 million square kilometers - nearly all of North Africa. Despite the extreme temperatures (up to 136C in the daytime and well below freezing at night), parts of the desert are now surprisingly accessible and there is a burgeoning tourist industry.

Being under the trade wind belt gives the Sahara a constantly changing face; its enormous sand seas and dunes ('Chgaga', the tallest, is over 500 meters high) are re-sculpted daily by sand-filled air currents such as the simoom and sirocco.

The pristine nature of the Sahara means that unusual discoveries can be made, such as the 19-mile wide meteor crater discovered in Egypt in 2006. The impact of the meteor heated the surroundings to such an extent that it melted the sand, forming lime green glass, pieces of which can be found amongst the dunes. Twisted rock formations rear up from a desolate landscape of dry river valleys and steep gorges, and caves filled with carvings and paintings from before the desert was formed, such as the Cave of Swimmers, bear testament to the desert's watery beginnings.

Just as it can reveal wonders, legend has it that the Sahara devours cities, explorers and whole armies, as in the story of King Cambyses of Persia, whose army of 10,000 men disappeared there 2,500 years ago and the remains of which explorers are still searching for.

Review by larapiegeler

Photo by flickr user bachmont

Colorado Plateau

Deserts in Southwest Desert, United States

There are nine national parks within the Colorado Plateau, which straddles the corners of four southwestern states, and many national monuments, most of which are striking geological features such as multi-coloured cliffs (giving this region its alternative name of the 'Painted Desert'), bridges and immense monoliths. The Grand Canyon is to be found here, over a mile deep, its layers displaying more than two billion years' worth of history, and the incredible Cliff Palace, inexplicably abandoned in 1300 and accidentally rediscovered by cowboys.

Review by larapiegeler

Photo by flickr user Leviathor

Arabian Desert

Deserts in Egypt

Almost all of the Arabian Peninsula is encompassed by this desert, which is comprised of the world's most extensive area of unbroken sand as well as rocky plains and highlands. Vegetation is sparse due to the hot days and freezing nights, and human activity has resulted in the necessity for much of the wildlife to be protected, though sand cats and oryx still survive here in healthy numbers.

Military activity and oil production have inevitably affected the ecological balance of parts of this region, but the inviting mystery of its 'Empty Quarter' and the many archaeological marvels to be witnessed are testament to the enchanting nature a region rich in legends and history.

Review by larapiegeler

Photo by flickr user Katiya Rhode

Great Sandy Desert

Deserts in Western Australia, Australia

Despite higher rainfall levels than can be found in most deserts, the flat, dry Great Sandy Desert of Australia is still too hot and barren to play host to any large, permanent settlements. Its red sand rises into high, parallel dunes and blends into Australia's other desert regions on all sides (including the Little Sandy to the south) but for the northwestern edge, which is washed by the Indian Ocean. Wild camels, red kangaroos and the world's largest remaining population of Rufous wallaby reside here, but the region's most celebrated natural wonder is Uluru, formerly called Ayers Rock. Uluru is the remainder of a sandstone mountain range, the rest of which has disappeared into sand from centuries of erosion, and its size (9.4 kilometers in circumference) has caused it to retain moisture at its base and support its own populations of endemic plants and animals.

Review by larapiegeler

Photo by flickr user tensaibuta

Thar Desert (Great Indian Desert)

Deserts in Jaisalmer, India

This 200,000 square km Indian and Pakistani desert is sparsely populated in terms of wildlife. Some otherwise rare endemic species hang on for the short,intense monsoon season, which brings the rocky sand and dunes to life for a few months in each year. It was also home to one of the world's most ancient peoples, the Mohenjo Daro and Harappa, and there is a great deal of cultural history and tradition to be explored amongst the local towns as a result.

Review by larapiegeler

Photo by flickr user Wolfgang Staudt

Tassili n'Ajjer

Deserts in Algeria

Located in a strange lunar landscape of great geological interest, this site has one of the most important groupings of prehistoric cave art in the world. More than 15,000 drawings and engravings record the climatic changes, the animal migrations and the evolution of human life on the edge of the Sahara from 6000 BC to the first centuries of the present era. The geological formations are of outstanding scenic interest, with eroded sandstones forming ‘forests of rock’.

Copyright © UNESCO/World Heritage Centre. All rights reserved.

Review by Worldreviewer

Photo by flickr user Curr_En

Death Valley

Deserts in United States

Death Valley is a valley in the U.S. states of California and Nevada, and is the location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level. It is one of many places on land which fall below mean sea level.

Located southeast of the Sierra Nevada range in the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert, it constitutes much of Death Valley National Park.

Temperatures in the Valley can range from up to 130°F (54 °C) in the day in the summer, to below freezing at night in the winter. The lowest temperature on record at Furnace Creek Inn is 15 °F (-9 °C).

Here you can learn about the park's history, wildlife (inc. the famous Road Runner..beep beep!) and discover scenic hiking trails and beautiful campgrounds.

Remote is an understatement, so make sure you have plenty of water and enough petrol in the tank! It's well worth the visit.

Review by Gary Martin

Photo by Gary Martin

Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves

Deserts in Niger

This is the largest protected area in Africa, covering some 7.7 million ha, though the area considered a protected sanctuary constitutes only one-sixth of the total area. It includes the volcanic rock mass of the Aïr, a small Sahelian pocket, isolated as regards its climate and flora and fauna, and situated in the Saharan desert of Ténéré. The reserves boast an outstanding variety of landscapes, plant species and wild animals.

Copyright © UNESCO/World Heritage Centre. All rights reserved.

Review by Worldreviewer

Photo by flickr user http2007

Gibson Desert

Deserts in Western Australia, Australia

Sandwiched between the Great Sandy and Great Victoria deserts, the Gibson Desert's grassy, red sandhills and salt lakes are a nature reserve and support red kangaroos, bilbys and emus as well as hoards of water birds at Lake Disappointment, so named because it contains only salt water and was useless for explorers to drink from.

Some of the last indigenous tribes also have their homes in the Gibson Desert and still practice their cultural traditions using knowledge of the local environment developed over 50,000 years.

Review by larapiegeler

Photo by flickr user Hamed Saber

Simpson Desert

Deserts in Northern Territory, Australia

This 170,000 square km desert lies in the centre of Australia and is a sand sea, having the longest parallel sand dunes recorded anywhere in the world. It has almost no infrastructure and is extremely hot, but there are Acacia woodlands and grasslands to be found here and the faunal biodiversity exceeds that of all the other Australian deserts. The presence of bats, rodents, frogs, hundreds of bird species and even fish is all down to the Great Artesian Basin, which is situated directly under the Simpson Desert and forces water up through the ground in the form of wells, springs and seasonal wetlands which reflect the colourful rock formations like mirrors under the clear skies, and bring the land to life.

Review by larapiegeler

Photo by flickr user tensaibuta

Iranian Desert (Persian Desert)

Deserts in Isfahan, Iran

Amongst the sparse shrubs, rocks and drifting sand dunes of what is also known as the Persian Desert, enormous salt basins glare up at the sky, their shimmering crystals created by the high-speed evaporation which takes place here during the day. Many of the most arid regions at the southern end of this desert are completely untouched and come alive in the evening, when cheetahs, leopards, herds of gazelles, sand foxes, birds and reptiles venture out into the cooler air.

Review by larapiegeler

Photo by flickr user Hamed Saber

Kyzyl-Kum (Peski Kyzyl-Kum)

Deserts in Kazakhstan

Split amongst Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, this Central Asian plain is named after its own red sand, which rolls across the land between the Amu Dary and Syr Darya rivers in the form of dunes and rough grassland. Although huge tracts of it are used for livestock farming, the relatively balanced climate also ensures that the Golden Eagle, the intimidatingly large Varan lizard and the protected Saiga antelope are quite at home here in the Bukhara Province nature reserve.

Review by larapiegeler

Photo by flickr user upyernoz