WELCOME TO DESERT

What is a Desert?What is a Desert?

Desert is an arid Desert is an arid region characterizedregion characterized

by extremely high or by extremely high or low temperatures andlow temperatures and

has scarce vegetation.has scarce vegetation.

Hot deserts are found in tropical regions.For Eg:

Sahara Desert

Cold deserts are found in high altitudes of the temperate regions .

For Eg: Ladakh

WELCOME TO

SAHARA DESERT

THE HOT DESERT – THE HOT DESERT – SAHARASAHARA

• The Sahara desert covering a The Sahara desert covering a large part of North Africa. It is large part of North Africa. It is the world’s largest desert. It has the world’s largest desert. It has an area of around 8.54 million an area of around 8.54 million sq. km. sq. km.

• The Sahara desert touches The Sahara desert touches eleven countries-Algeria, Chad, eleven countries-Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali,Mauritania, Egypt, Libya, Mali,Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan,Tunisia Morocco, Niger, Sudan,Tunisia and Western Sahara.and Western Sahara.

Climate

Short rainy season. Sky is cloudless and clear. Days are unbelievably hot-The temperatures

during the day may soar as high as 50°C, heating up the sand and the bare rocks, which in turn radiates heat making everything around hot.

The nights may be freezing cold with temperature nearing zero degrees.

Flora and Fauna

Vegetation -cactus, date palms and acacia. In some places there are oasis – green islands with date palms surrounding them.

Animals-Camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, many varieties of snakes and lizards

Occupation Bedouins and Tuaregs are groups of

nomadic tribes rearing livestock such as goats, sheep, camels and horses which provide them with milk, hides from which they make leather for belts, slippers, water bottles; hair is used for mats, carpets, clothes and blankets.

LadakhLadakh is a cold desert lying in the Great

Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir

Several rivers flow through Ladakh, Indus being the most important among them.

Several glaciers are found in Ladakh, for example the Gangotri glacier.

Due to its high altitude, the climate is extremely coldand dry. The air at this altitude is so thin that theheat of the sun can be felt intensely. The daytemperatures in summer are just above zero degreeand the night temperatures well below 30°C. It isfreezing cold in the winters.

Due to high aridity, the vegetation is sparse. There arescanty patches of grasses and shrubs for animals tograze. During the summers, fruit trees such as apples,apricots and walnuts bloom.

Several species of birds are sighted in Ladakh. Robins, redstarts, Tibetan snowcock,raven and hoopoe are common. Some of these are migratory birds. The animals of Ladakh are wild goats, wild sheep, yak and special kinds of dogs.

In the summer season the people are busy cultivating barley, potatoes, peas, beans and turnip.

The climate in winter months is so harsh thatpeople keep themselves engaged infestivities and ceremonies.

The women are very hard working. They work not only in the house and fields, but also manage small business and shop.