Basic Facts About Deserts

Deserts 1 Sure, our planet looks like a watery blue marble from space, but one-third of Earth’s land surface is partially or totally desert. 2 The world’s largest desert is Antarctica. That’s right, an area doesn’t have to be hot to qualify—it just needs to lose more moisture than it gains. 3 There are parts of the Atacama Desert in Chile where no rain has ever been recorded. 4 And yet more than 1 million people live in the Atacama today. 5 If you get lost in the desert, you don’t have to urinate on your shirt and wear it on your head like Bear Grylls to avoid dying of thirst. 6 Contrary to lore, cacti are not a sure thing. 7 Then again, if you are lost in the desert, headaches and diarrhea might not be your biggest problem. 8 You’re better off with a prickly pear cactus. 9 The world record for crossing the Sahara by bicycle was set in 2011 by Reza Pakravan, 36, a market security analyst in London, who made the 1,084-mile journey in 13 days, 5 hours, 50 minutes, and 14 seconds.

desert habitat Note picture of habitat aniamal note snake The desert only gets 10 inches of rain a year. Facts pictrue weather and climate