We learn more about the features of Earth - Part 10 Deserts - Information for kids

It is hot and it is sandy.  There is very little rain that falls during the year.  Even thought there are a few things that can describe a desert, the main determination is the amount of rain that falls, that is why an area which is freezing cold, like Antarctica and the Arctic can also be called a desert.

It is usually the areas without ice and snow and they are called 'polar deserts'.

A desert gets less than 40 cm of rain per year.

The name was given because desert means 'abandoned place'.  Over one third of the Earth is covered by desert areas.

One would think that all deserts are covered with sand, but only about 20% is and like we said before, you also find deserts in other areas.  The hot deserts in the warmer areas are called 'hot deserts' and the ones in the colder areas are called 'cold deserts'.  The largest hot desert on Earth is the Sahara desert and the largest cold desert is Antarctica.

Other large deserts include the Gobi Desert in Asia, the Kalahari Desert in Africa, the Patagonian Desert in South America, the Great Victoria Desert in Australia, the Syrian Desert in the Middle East and the Great Basin Desert in North America. 

The driest desert on Earth is the Atacama desert and is situated in South America.

Hot deserts will be very hot during the day, but it can get very cold in certain parts during the night.  It is not easy to survive in the desert and the plants and animals have adapted in ways to make sure they do not struggle to live there.  There are also people living in the desert.

A desert can be a very dangerous place if you get stuck there without water and you do not know how to survive there.  Besides the lack of water, you can also run into big sandstorms and easily get lost.

Some deserts can have a lot of mineral deposits and it is also a good place where you can set up a solar farm to use the Sun to generate electricity.

The video game Mario Kart 64 features a track called 'Kalimari Desert', a reference to the Kalahari Desert found in Southern Africa. 

• Choose any type of plant or animal that you will find in a desert and do more research on it and find out how they have adapted to survive life in a desert.