Many deserts go years without receiving any rain at all, only to have a rare downpour that springs up oases and plant life throughout the once arid region. This is always temporary, however, and the region will return to its normal, extremely dry condition within a relatively short period of time.
Deserts are found all across the planet, with the largest ones located within 30 degrees of the equator. This is mainly due to either high mountains blocking winds or high pressure areas forcing air currents, which carry precipitation, away from desert regions.
The largest desert in the world is the Sahara, located in Africa. Its area encompasses 3.5 million square miles, or 10 percent of the African continent. It can reach temperatures of up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit and receives less than 5 inches of average annual rainfall. The Gobi Desert is a massive desert situated in Asia, north of China. Much of the Middle East is desert land, including most of Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Arabia. The United States also is home to a few large deserts, including The Mojave Desert and Death Valley, located in the southwest area of the country.
Although deserts may appear to be barren wastelands, they are often teeming with hidden plant and animal life. Animals have adapted in many ways over the years. For example, many desert animals are nocturnal and only hunt for food when the temperature in the desert has dropped significantly. Camels are another example of a well-adapted desert animal because they have padded feet, which allows them to walk on hot sand, and humps that store water. Many other animals, such as tortoises, hide in underground burrows where it's significantly cooler during the day.
Much like the rest of the world, there are edible and nonedible plants found throughout deserts. Although plants may be scarce, they can be found. These plants have adapted to the extremely arid temperatures and lack of rainfall in the desert. Many, for example, have developed extremely long roots that reach deep underground to obtain what little water can be found there. Other plants, such as cactus, have developed a waxy coating on their exterior to prevent water from evaporating.
