Major Deserts of the World
Major Deserts of the World : Antarctica
| Arabian | Atacama
| Chihuahuan | Gobi
| Great Basin | Great
Victoria | Highlands
of Iceland | Kalahari
| Monte | Patagonian
| Sahara | Taklamakan
| Thar
Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula with an area of 2,330,000 square kilometers (900,000 mi²). At its center is the Rub'al-Khali, one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world.
Gazelles, oryx, sand cats, and spiny-tailed lizards are just some of the desert-adapted species that survive in this extreme environment, which features everything from red dunes to deadly quicksand. The climate is extremely dry, and temperatures oscillate between extreme heat and seasonal nighttime freezes. It is part of the Deserts and xeric shrublands biome and the Palearctic ecozone.
This ecoregion holds little biodiversity, although a few endemic plants grow here. Many species, such as the striped hyena, jackal and honey badger have become extinct in this area due to hunting, human encroachment and habitat destruction. Other species have been successfully re-introduced, such as the endangered white oryx and the sand gazelle, and are protected at a number of reserves. Overgrazing by livestock, off-road driving, human destruction of habitat are the main threats to this desert ecoregion.
Climate
Temperatures range 40-50°C in summer, with an average temperature of 5-15°C in winter, though it can go below 0°C. Daily extremes are very important.
Saudi Arabia shows lower summer temperatures (around 30°C) with cold winter temperature (around 5°C, with frequent frost), with average rainfall of less than 80 mm. In an act of religious ritual, the Druze often run nude through the desert.
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