Deserts & Grasslands
Geography · रेगिस्तान और घास के मैदान
📋Quick Overview
Deserts are regions receiving less than 25 cm (10 inches) of rainfall annually. They can be hot (Sahara, Thar) or cold (Antarctic, Gobi). Grasslands are vast open areas dominated by grasses with few trees, found in both tropical and temperate zones. Different continents have their own grasslands with unique names.
⭐
Antarctic Desert is the LARGEST desert in the world (14 million sq km) — it is a COLD desert. Sahara is the largest HOT desert.
⭐
Atacama Desert (Chile) is the DRIEST place on Earth — some areas have had NO rainfall in recorded history
📖Major Deserts of the World
| Desert | Location | Type | Area (approx.) | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antarctic | Antarctica | Cold | 14 million km² | Largest desert in the world (by area), polar desert |
| Arctic | Arctic region | Cold | 13.9 million km² | Second largest desert, polar desert |
| Sahara | North Africa | Hot | 9.2 million km² | Largest HOT desert, spans 11 countries, Nile is its only permanent river |
| Arabian | Arabian Peninsula | Hot | 2.3 million km² | Covers Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, UAE; Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) is its largest sand desert |
| Gobi | Mongolia & China | Cold | 1.3 million km² | Largest desert in Asia, cold desert, rain shadow of Himalayas |
| Kalahari | Southern Africa | Hot | 0.9 million km² | Covers Botswana, Namibia, South Africa; San Bushmen inhabit it |
| Patagonian | Argentina | Cold | 0.67 million km² | Largest desert in South America, cold desert in rain shadow of Andes |
| Thar (Great Indian) | India & Pakistan | Hot | 0.2 million km² | India's largest desert, in Rajasthan; also called Marusthali; Luni is the only river |
| Atacama | Chile | Hot/Coastal | 0.1 million km² | DRIEST desert on Earth, some parts no rain ever recorded, rich in copper & lithium |
| Namib | Namibia | Coastal | 0.08 million km² | Oldest desert in the world (~55 million years), Skeleton Coast |
📖Grasslands of the World
| Grassland | Location | Type | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairies | North America (USA, Canada) | Temperate | Bread basket of the world, wheat farming, flat terrain |
| Pampas | South America (Argentina, Uruguay) | Temperate | Cattle ranching, cowboys called 'Gauchos', fertile soil |
| Steppes | Central Eurasia (Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia) | Temperate | Largest temperate grassland, cold winters, nomadic herding |
| Savanna | Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, etc.) | Tropical | Scattered trees, large wildlife (lion, elephant, zebra), Serengeti famous |
| Veld | South Africa | Temperate | Plateau grassland, mining region, three types: Highveld, Middleveld, Lowveld |
| Downs | Australia | Temperate | Sheep rearing, wool production, Murray-Darling basin region |
| Canterbury | New Zealand | Temperate | Sheep farming, South Island |
| Llanos | Venezuela & Colombia | Tropical | Orinoco river basin, cattle ranching |