130 Interesting Facts About the Desert You Probably Didn’t Know

Download Article

Learn what makes the Sahara, Atacama & more deserts unique

Co-authored by Michael Simpson, PhD and Aly Rusciano

Last Updated: March 20, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Interesting Facts
|
• Sahara Desert
|
• Atacama Desert
|
• Gobi Desert
|
• Kalahari Desert
|
• Chihuahuan Desert
|
• Great Victoria Desert
|
• Sonoran Desert

|Show more |Show less

When we say “deserts,” you probably think of sunshine, cactuses, extremely hot weather, and sand. But what if we told you there was more to these biomes than you thought? Deserts are arid ecosystems that get fewer than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain a year, yet they still maintain diverse species of plants and wildlife. Take a look at these fun facts about desert biomes and the world’s most famous deserts to learn more about these fascinating ecosystems!

Best Fun Facts About Deserts

• The word “desert” means “an abandoned place.”
• The average size of a desert is 46,000 square miles.
• Most deserts were formed over 10,000 years ago.
• The biggest desert in the world is Antarctica.
• The Sahara is the largest hot desert on Earth.

Steps

Section 1 of 8:

Interesting Facts About the Desert Biome

Download Article

1. 
   Deserts are one of the most fascinating biomes on Earth! They’re found all over the world on every continent—even Antarctica. They feature bright sunsets, terrestrial-looking plants, and interesting wildlife. Life in a desert is likely different from what you may know, and we’ve put together this list of fun and interesting facts to prove it!

   • The word “desert” comes from the Latin word for “an abandoned place.”
   • Deserts can be hot, like the Sahara, or cold, like Antarctica.
   • The average size of a desert is 46,000 square miles (119,140 sq km).
   • After it rains, a desert might not get another rainfall for months or years.
   • Only about 20% of deserts are covered by sand.
   • Most deserts were formed over 10,000 years ago.
   • About ⅙ of the Earth’s population lives in deserts.
   • Dust storms can reach up to 25 miles an hour.
   • A fully-grown saguaro cactus can store up to 200 gallons (760 L) of water.
   • Succulents make their own sunscreen.
   • Deserts are the driest places on Earth, getting less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain a year.
   • The biggest desert in the world is Antarctica.
   • Most desert animals stay underground during the day and come out to hunt at night.
   • The desert biome covers ⅕ of the Earth’s surface.
   • Cacti have enlarged stems to store water.
   • There are 4 types of deserts: hot and dry, semi-arid, coastal, and cold.
   • Some deserts have an oasis, or an area of land that has natural underground springs.
   • There are 4 major deserts in the US: the Great Basin, the Mojave, the Sonoran, and the Chihuahuan.
   • Desert plants give off a special chemical that helps prevent other plants from growing in their area.
   • One way desert plants get water is by growing deep taproots that are over 100 feet (30 m) long.
   • Plants in the desert can shrink or swell depending on their water storage.
   • Desert plants can grow hair and spines to help reduce water loss and wind damage.
   • Animals in the desert don’t need as much water to survive.
   • The clouds of sand during a sandstorm are often so dense they block the sun.
   • Camels survive in the desert by storing water in the body fat of their humps.
   • Mars is the only other planet that has identifiable deserts.
Advertisement

Section 2 of 8:

Fun Facts About the Sahara Desert

Download Article

1. 
   The Sahara Desert is one of the most popular and well-known deserts on Earth, and for good reason! This desert is full of rich history, exotic plant life, and sandy dunes. Check out these fun facts to learn more about the Sahara Desert:

   • The Sahara is a part of 10 countries.
   • The entire continental United States could fit inside the Sahara Desert.
   • The Sahara Desert is the world’s largest hot desert.
   • The average temperature in the Sahara Desert is 86 °F (30 °C).
   • The Sahara Desert’s temperature can get as low as 21 °F (−6 °C) at night.
   • Snow can fall in the Sahara Desert on mountain ranges, but nowhere else in the desert.
   • The Sahara Desert covers 8% of the Earth’s land area.
   • There are over 20 lakes in the Sahara, with most of them being saltwater lakes.
   • The sand dunes in the Sahara can be as high as 1,476 feet (450 m).
   • “Sahara” is derived from the Arabic word ṣaḥrā, which means “desert.”
   • The Sahara desert has a population of about 2 million people.
   • The Sahara desert is 3,000 metres (3.0 km) wide from east to west.
   • Sand sheets and dunes make up 25% of the Sahara.
   • The Sahara is divided into two climatic regimes: dry subtropical and dry tropical climates.

Section 3 of 8:

Fun Facts About the Atacama Desert

Download Article

1. 
   Located on the Pacific coast of South America, the Atacama Desert stretches across the Andes Mountains. This desert is most famously known for being the driest in the world (and has some of the most fascinating history). Don’t believe us? Take a look at these fun facts:

   • The Atacama Desert is the driest desert in the world.
   • Between 1570 and 1971, the Atacama had no rain—that’s 401 years!
   • The Atacama has around 550 species of ferns, gymnosperms, and flowering plants.
   • Lunar landers and Mars rovers have been tested in the Atacama, thanks to its extraterrestrial-looking terrain.
   • The Atacama Desert is the oldest desert on Earth.
   • The Atacama has mountains higher than 20,000 feet (6,100 m).
   • The Atacama is the perfect place for stargazing, thanks to over 200 cloudless nights each year.
   • The Atacama Desert is a popular location for all-terrain sports.
   • The Atacama gets an average of 1 millimetre (0.10 cm) of rain a year.
   • The Atacama has the world’s largest supply of sodium nitrate.
   • The soil in the Atacama Desert is similar to the soil on Mars.
   • The oldest mummified human remains were found in the Atacama.
   • The Atacama is the world’s largest fog desert.
   • Flamingos can be found in the Atacama Desert.
   • The Humboldt penguin can be found swimming near the shores of the Atacama Desert.
Advertisement

Section 4 of 8:

Fun Facts About the Gobi Desert

Download Article

1. 
   The Gobi Desert is the semidesert region that covers most of Central Asia. This magnificent desert stretches across Mongolia and China. With many regions still uncharted, it remains one of the most mysterious and elusive deserts. Check out these interesting facts to learn more:

   • The Gobi Desert is the largest desert in Asia.
   • The Gobi Desert is the fifth largest desert in the world.
   • The Gobi covers 30% of Mongolian territory.
   • Only 5% of the Gobi Desert has sand dunes.
   • The Gobi Desert has one of the world’s most extreme weather conditions, with vastly changing temperatures and seasons.
   • The Gobi Desert is the first place where dinosaur eggs were discovered.
   • Dunes are covered with snow in the winter in the Gobi Desert.
   • Snow leopards can be found in the Gobi Desert.
   • The largest sand dune in the Gobi is Khongoryn, which is 260 feet (79 m) high.
   • Almost 70% of the world’s camel population lives in the Gobi Desert.
   • The Gobi is rich in copper, gold, and coal.
   • Fossilized coral heads or sea lilies have been found in the Gobi.
   • Mountain ranges surround the Gobi Dessert.
   • The word “gobi” means “waterless place.”
   • The most common vegetation in the Gobi Desert is brush.

Section 5 of 8:

Fun Facts About the Kalahari Desert

Download Article

1. 
   Sitting on the interior plateau of Southern Africa, the Kalahari Desert occupies most of the Botswana, Namibia, and Northern Cape regions. This large desert is relatively flat, but that doesn’t make it any less special! Check out these fun and interesting facts about the Kalahari Desert:

   • The Kalahari Desert is approximately 350,000 square miles.
   • The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah.
   • Temperatures can reach 115 °F (46 °C) in the Kalahari in the summer.
   • Temperatures can drop as low as 7 °F (−14 °C) on winter nights.
   • The Kalahari is 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level.
   • All three African big cats (cheetahs, leopards, lions) can be found in the Kalahari.
   • The bushveld rain frog and tremolo sand frog can be found in the Kalahari Desert after rain.
   • The southwestern region of the Kalahari has few trees and bushes because of its dry climate.
   • Most plants and wildlife are found in the central Kalahari.
   • The Kalahari is the southernmost desert in Africa.
   • The Kalahari Desert covers more than 70% of Botswana.
   • The Kalahari receives 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 cm) of rain a year, meaning it’s not always considered a true desert.
   • The word “Kalahari” comes from the Tswana word kgala, which means “great thirst.”
   • The earliest inhabitants of the Kalahari were the Khoisan, who were hunter-gatherers.
   • Central Kalahari has the largest game reserve in Botswana.
Advertisement

Section 6 of 8:

Fun Facts About the Chihuahuan Desert

Download Article

1. 
   Shared by two nations, the Chihuahuan Desert sits between the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental mountain ranges in North America. This large desert is home to diverse wildlife, and its rich history makes it a cultural masterpiece. Learn more about the Chihuahua Desert with these fun facts:

   • The Chihuahuan Desert covers over 250,000 square miles.
   • Over 90% of the Chihuahuan Desert is in Mexico.
   • The Chihuahuan is the largest desert in North America.
   • The Chihuahuan Desert gets around 6 to 20 inches (15 to 51 cm) of rain per year.
   • The eastern boundary of the Chihuahuan is the richest center of plant evolution in North America.
   • There are over 3,500 plant species in the Chihuahuan Desert.
   • There are 1,000 plant species that can only be found in the Chihuahuan Desert.
   • There are over 170 species of amphibians and reptiles in the Chihuahuan.
   • The Chihuahuan Desert has over 130 species of mammals.
   • The Chihuahuan Desert is one of the few areas where grizzly bears, wolves, and jaguars can be found naturally in the same area.
   • There are over 400 bird species in the Chihuahuan Desert.
   • The Rio Grande River runs through the Chihuahuan.
   • The Chihuahuan Desert is the third largest desert in the Western Hemisphere.
   • The Chihuahuan Desert is a rain shadow desert, which means it’s protected from wind and rainy weather by a mountain range.
   • The Chihuahuan Desert is the most biologically diverse desert in the world.

Section 7 of 8:

Fun Facts About the Great Victoria Desert

Download Article

1. 
   Nestled in southern Australia, the Great Victoria Desert (GVD) is a wasteland full of grass and salt marshes. This desert may be small when compared to its worldly competitors, but its history and landscape are vast! Here are some fun and interesting facts about the Great Victoria Desert:

   • The Great Victoria Desert is the largest desert in Australia.
   • The Great Victoria Desert is the seventh-largest desert in the world.
   • The Great Victoria Desert was named after Queen Victoria in 1875.
   • The climate of the Great Victoria Desert is very hot and humid.
   • Explorer Ernest Giles was the first European to cross the Great Victoria Desert in 1875.
   • The Great Victoria Desert is over 430 miles (690 km) wide from east to west.
   • The population of the Great Victoria Desert mainly consists of Indigenous Australian tribes: the Kogara, the Mirning, and the Pitjantjatjara.
   • The Great Victoria Desert is a hotspot for reptile diversity, with over 100 species of reptiles present.
   • The Great Victoria Desert mainly consists of open woodlands.
   • There are 24 threatened species currently in the Great Victoria Desert, making it a top priority for conservationists.
   • The Great Victoria Desert landscape doesn’t support farming.
   • There are 123 bird species living in the Great Victoria Desert.
   • Between 1953 and 1957, nine atomic bombs exploded in the Great Victoria Desert.
   • The Great Victoria Desert receives at least 4 inches (10 cm) of rain per year.
   • The Great Victoria Desert bioregion consists of dunes and swales.
Advertisement

Section 8 of 8:

Fun Facts About the Sonoran Desert

Download Article

1. 
   Spanning southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, the Sonoran Desert is certainly a sight to behold! This North American desert is hot and dry with a subtropical climate rich with biodiversity. Take a look at these fun facts to learn more about the Sonoran Desert:

   • The Sonoran Desert has regions that represent all of the world’s biomes.
   • The Sonoran Desert is approximately 100,000 square miles (259,000 sq km).
   • Legume trees and columnar cacti are the most prominent plants in the Sonoran Desert.
   • The Sonoran Desert experiences bi-seasonal rainfall, meaning it has two rainy seasons.
   • The Sonoran Desert has mild winters but does experience frost.
   • The Sonoran gets about 3 to 15 inches (7.6 to 38.1 cm) of rain per year.
   • The hottest and driest part of the Sonoran Desert is near the lower Colorado River.
   • The Sonoran Desert is believed to have the greatest species diversity of North American deserts.
   • There are at least 60 mammal, 350 bird, 20 amphibian, 100 reptile, and 30 fish species in the Sonoran Desert.
   • There are over 2,000 species of plants in the Sonoran.
   • The Sonoran Desert is composed of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.
   • Between 20 and 40 million years ago, volcanoes were active in the Sonoran Desert.
   • The elevation in the Sonoran Desert can be as high as 10,000 feet (3,000 m).
   • The Sonoran Desert gets the most rain between July and September.
   • The Sonoran Desert National Monument preserves 760 square miles (1,968 sq km) of the desert.

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!