In the Desert

In the Arabic language, the word for "desert" is Sahara. So by referring to the region as the Sahara Desert, you are essentially calling it "desert desert."

The camel, nicknamed "Ship of the Desert," is particularly well-suited to desert conditions. In addition to having a transparent eyelid that protects their vision in sandstorms, their fur provides such great insulation that it can withstand both the hot and cold extremes found in the desert.

 Approximately 1/3 of the Earth's land surface area is desert.

A desert is defined as an area that receives very little precipitation, which means that it's not just dry, sandy locales that qualify.

At 5.5 million square miles (roughly 66% larger than the Sahara), the entire continent of Antarctica is considered the world's largest desert. It receives less than two inches of precipitation a year.

With the term originating from a hot desert wind that blows northward from the Sahara toward the Mediterranean coast of Europe, a sirocco now refers to any kind of hot, oppressive wind.

A simoom is another kind of desert wind: typically strong, dry and dust-laden.