![]() ![]() Deserts are divided into these types according to the causes of their dryness. Kinds of Deserts The world’s deserts can be divided into five types-subtropical, coastal, rain shadow, interior, and polar. Others are dry expanses of rock, sand, or salt flats. Although the word “desert” may bring to mind a sea of shifting sand, dunes cover only about 10 percent of the world’s deserts. They are home to around 1 billion people-one-sixth of the Earth’s population. Deserts are found on every continent and cover about one-fifth of Earth’s land area. In all deserts, there is little water available for plants and other organisms. The amount of evaporation in a desert often greatly exceeds the annual rainfall. Most experts agree that a desert is an area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year. One thing all deserts have in common is that they are arid, or dry. People have adapted to life in the desert for thou sands of years. ![]() And most deserts, far from being empty and lifeless, are home to a variety of plants, animals, and other organisms. Although some deserts are very hot, with daytime temperatures as high as 54☌ (130☏), other deserts have cold winters or are cold year-round. People often use the adjectives “hot,” “dry,” and “empty” to describe deserts, but these words do not tell the whole story. Deserts are areas that receive very little precipitation. ![]()
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