We will plunge into the amazing and mysterious world of deserts. How many secrets they have already shared with humanity, and how many more are hidden in their vast expanses, covered with sultry sands and sparkling ice. If you want to look at the largest deserts in the world, you have come to the address.
All deserts existing on the Earth, and there are more than 30 of them, cover 18% of the earth's surface, and vary in size and environmental conditions. Let's go on an extreme journey, at the end of which the largest desert on the planet awaits us.
The largest deserts in the world:
Tsimlyansk Sands
This unique natural zone in the territory of modern Volgograd and Rostov region was formed during the Dnieper glaciation, about 300 thousand years ago.
The sands stretched in the form of an irregular rhombus on an area of about 1 thousand square kilometers. In Russia, this unique place is protected by the state, for which a reserve and a natural park have been created on the territory.
Compared to other deserts, Tsimlyansk sands have rich vegetation and are inhabited by various species of animals, and in Russia, the Great Deserts are also considered to be the Ryn-sands, spread in the Caspian region.
Atacama
This desert in Chile in South America is considered the driest on Earth. In parts of Atacama, it rains once every several decades.
Local residents collect water using the so-called “mist eliminators”, collecting up to 18 liters of water per day. But the plants are so adapted to the harsh climate that in the driest periods they even refuse their natural functions - growth and reproduction.
There were amazing, abnormal events in this part of the Earth. In 2010, snow fell in the desert.
Salar—de Uyuni
A huge salt desert was formed as a result of drying out of the lake. According to various estimates, the Uyuni salt marsh in Bolivia stores about 10 billion tons of salt in its bowels.
After the decline in salt production, local residents adapted to earn money from tourists. They even build salt houses to relax and spend the night in.
Interestingly, satellites are calibrated on the surface of the salt marsh, just like a mirror, and on the edge of the amazing salty zone of the Earth there is a cemetery of old steam locomotives.
Takla Makan
Translated from Uyghur, the name of the desert in the west of China is translated as "an abandoned place." Indeed, there is no permanent population due to harsh conditions and drought.
By the area of Takla-Makan, spread over hundreds of kilometers, it is one of the largest deserts on the earth's surface. The fauna is poor, and only in the valleys of small rivers you can find hares, jerboas, rare herds of antelopes.
On the edges of the sands in ancient times there were small settlements, the ruins of which can be seen at the southern outskirts.
And about the oldest countries that have survived on the world map to this day, thebiggest has a very interesting article.
Oleshkovsky Sands
30 kilometers from Kherson spreads in the vast Tavria the largest desert in Europe - Oleshkovsky sands. It is noteworthy that this is not a continuous sand massif, but, consisting of seven sections, aeolian sediments in the lower reaches of the Dnieper.
One of the most beautiful places in Ukraine, consisting of sand dunes and mounds. Some of them reach a height of up to 5 meters, and the local population calls them "Kuchugurs."
So that the sands do not expand, now this territory is actively planted with coniferous forests.
Karakum
Covering an area of 350,000 km², “black sands” occupy most of Turkmenistan, and is divided into two natural zones - Zaunguz Karakum and Central Karakum.
The desert is especially majestic in spring, when most of its velvet territory is covered by small herbaceous plants. Nature comes to life, and the animal world begins an active life.
In addition, in the bowels of the Turkmen sands there are large deposits of oil and gas.
Kalahari
The desert, whose name in the Berber language means "painful", is conducting a constant attack on the territory of South Africa.
On the African continent, this is one of the most sultry places where the average maximum temperature is + 29 ° C. Despite this, the area is relatively rich in vegetation, and the flora is represented by giraffes, zebras, antelopes, meerkats and other animal species.
Kalahari is widely represented in literature and world cinema. The uniqueness of this area adds, flowing through the sands, the nowhere flowing Okavango River.
Victoria
Australia's largest desert, an area of 424,000 km² is covered not only with sand, but also with fine gravel. Surprisingly, almost half of the continent is a desert area.
Altogether in Australia there are 8 desert zones, with their own special flora and fauna, and most importantly - with different soils.
Precipitation and moisture in the Australian desert depend on the direction and nature of the winds, and the unique natural areas themselves are evenly distributed in the tropical and subtropical climates.
By the way, on thebiggest.ru you can look at the most dangerous animals in Australia.
Gobi
From the mountains of Altai to the foothills of the Tien Shan, endless expanses of the great Asian Gobi desert stretch. Sparse landscapes stretch for thousands of kilometers and cover an area of 1,300,000 km².
A waterless place, as the Mongols call this territory, according to the totality of its territories Asia's largest desert.
Surprisingly, the elevation leads to a large difference in temperature. Summer is hot, and the thermometer column sometimes rises to + 58 ° C, and in winter it can drop to −55 ° C.
Arabian desert
The area of these desert lands is 2,330,000 km², and this, taking into account the sands of the Arabian Peninsula, largest desert in Eurasia.
Most of this part of the globe is uninhabited, and sandstorms and mighty dry winds enter their full masters.
A unique phenomenon of a sharp difference in daily temperatures is noted here. During the day, you can fry fried eggs in the sand, and at night even centuries-old stones crack from the cold.
Sahara
So we got to the majestic and unique Sahara. Africa's largest desert and planets, if you do not take into account the endless white expanses of Antarctica. The area of sand in the Sahara is 9,065,000 km².
With its sands, it occupies part of nine African states. In addition to a large territory, the Sahara is famous for its mirages, which happen 100 to 200 thousand times a year. Scientists over the years studying this amazing natural phenomenon, even made a map of mirages.
Antarctica
From hot sands to cold ice. The only icy desert on the planet, spreading over an area of 14 107 000 km², the largest desert in the world.
It is noteworthy that Antarctica, surrounded by water and covered with ice, is the driest place on Earth, as severe frosts literally dry moisture. Precipitation here is very small, and in 1983 the air temperature was −89 ° C.
Surprisingly, these desert landscapes can be found on the coldest continent of the Earth. These are the dry valleys of McMurdo, which are located on the territory of Victoria Land in Antarctica.
Conclusion
So we learned that the Sahara is the largest desert of the African continent, and the largest desert of the planet is the Antarctic, covered with eternal ice.
Interestingly, the Antarctic desert has its own flora and fauna, represented by mosses and some species of simple animals.
A truly amazing and mysterious world. Severe climatic conditions and vast expanses of these amazing, inherently, natural zones, do not allow to fully conduct research. But the world does not stand still, and over time, the largest deserts will begin to reveal their secrets to man.
Article author: Valery Skiba