The Arid Regions/Deserts

Total Questions: 25

11. The problem of desertification is least in which of the following continents? [Raj. P.C.S. (Pre) 2023]

Correct Answer: (a) Europe
Solution:Europe is the only continent without a desert. Significantly, desertification is defined by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as "land degradation in and, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas (dryland) resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities.

Climatic variations include the decrease in precipitation, drought or soil and moisture loss on a global level. Notably, human activities include overgrazing, deforestation, removed of the natural vegetation cover and unsustainable agricultural activities in vulnerable ecosystem.

12. The biggest desert in the world is: [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2010, M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]

Correct Answer: (c) Sahara
Solution:The biggest (non-polar) desert of the world is the Sahara Desert. The Sahara, located in Northern Africa, is the world's largest hot desert and the third most extensive desert after the polar deserts of Antarctica and the northern Arctic. It spans over 9,200,000 sq. km (8% of the earth's land area).

The Sahara Desert encompasses a major portion of North Africa, occupying about 31% of the entire African continent. The countries within the Sahara Desert are Morocco, Mali, Mauritania, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Chad, the Niger Republic, some parts of Sudan, a small portion of Nigeria, and a small part of Burkina Faso.

The desert is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlas Mountains on the northern side; the Red Sea on the eastern side; the Atlantic Ocean on the western side and the semiarid Sahel region on the southern side. The majority of the Sahara is made up of barren, rocky plateaus, as well as salt flats, sand dunes, mountains, and dry valleys.

The large Nile and Niger rivers, along with the seasonal lakes and aquifers, provide the main source of water for the major desert oases. The highest peak in the Sahara is Emi Koussi (3,415m), a volcano located in the Tibesti Mountains, Chad. The Sahel region serves as a transition zone between the hot desert in the north and the humid savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa in the south.

Source:- https://vajiramandravi.com/upsc-daily-current-affairs/prelims-pointers/sahara-desert/

13. Which of the following is the biggest Desert in the world- [Uttarakhand Lower Sub. (Pre) 2010]

Correct Answer: (c) Sahara
Solution:The biggest (non-polar) desert of the world is the Sahara Desert. The Sahara, located in Northern Africa, is the world's largest hot desert and the third most extensive desert after the polar deserts of Antarctica and the northern Arctic. It spans over 9,200,000 sq. km (8% of the earth's land area).

The Sahara Desert encompasses a major portion of North Africa, occupying about 31% of the entire African continent. The countries within the Sahara Desert are Morocco, Mali, Mauritania, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Chad, the Niger Republic, some parts of Sudan, a small portion of Nigeria, and a small part of Burkina Faso.

The desert is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlas Mountains on the northern side; the Red Sea on the eastern side; the Atlantic Ocean on the western side and the semiarid Sahel region on the southern side. The majority of the Sahara is made up of barren, rocky plateaus, as well as salt flats, sand dunes, mountains, and dry valleys.

The large Nile and Niger rivers, along with the seasonal lakes and aquifers, provide the main source of water for the major desert oases. The highest peak in the Sahara is Emi Koussi (3,415m), a volcano located in the Tibesti Mountains, Chad.

The Sahel region serves as a transition zone between the hot desert in the north and the humid savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa in the south.

Source:- https://vajiramandravi.com/upsc-daily-current-affairs/prelims-pointers/sahara-desert/

14. The most populated desert in the world is - [U.P.P.C.S.(Pre) 2012]

Correct Answer: (c) Thar
Solution:The Thar desert is the most densely populated desert in the world with a population density of 83 people per square km. The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region of rolling sand hills on the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the largest subtropical deserts in the world.

It is located partly in northwestern India, and partly in eastern Pakistan. It extends across the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana in India, and the provinces of Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan. It covers more than 77,000 square miles (200,000 sq. km).

The majority of the Thar desert is in India (15 percent lies in Pakistan). It is bordered by the irrigated Indus River plain to the west, the Punjab Plain to the north and northeast, the Aravalli Range to the southeast, and the Rann of Kachchh to the south. The desert is separated from the Greater Rann of Kutch to the west by the low-lying marshy lands of the Luni River

15. Takla Makan desert lies in - [U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008]

Correct Answer: (b) China
Solution:Takla Makan Desert is situated in Xinjiang region of China. It is limited to the south by the Kunlun Mountains, to the west by the Pamir Mountains, to the north by the Tian Shan range, and to the east by the Gobi Desert.

The Taklamakan Desert covers 337,000 square kilometres, making it somewhat smaller than Germany. It is part of the Tarim Basin, which is 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) long and 400 kilometres (250 miles) broad. It is traversed by two branches of the Silk Road at its northern and southern edges, as travellers attempted to escape the parched wasteland.

16. Kara Kum desert is situated in which of the following countries? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2021]

Correct Answer: (e) Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan
Solution:Karakum Desert, also spelled kara-Kum, is a great sandy region in Central Asia. It occupies mainly Turkmenistan and some part of kara-kum also situated in Kazakhstan.

17. Dasht-e- Lut is located in - [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2015]

Correct Answer: (a) Iran
Solution:Dasht-e-Lut is a large salt desert in Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran. NASA's tests have revealed that it is the world's warmest desert. Its temperature was measured 70.7°C by NASA's Agua satellite in 2005.

18. In which country is the Gobi desert located? [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2008, U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 1993, 38th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1997]

Correct Answer: (c) Mongolia
Solution:Gobi Desert streches into northern China and southern Mongolia. This desert is surrounded by mainly Alashan. Tienshan and Altai mountain. It is a vast, arid region in northern China and southern Mongolia. It's known for its dunes, mountains and rare animals such as snow leopards and Bactrian camels.

In the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, the Khongoryn Els sand dunes are said to sing when the wind blows. The park also features the deep ice field of Yolyn Am canyon. Dinosaur fossils have been found at the red "Flaming Cliffs" of Bayanzag.

19. Consider the following deserts and arrange them in increasing order of their size (from smallest to largest) [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2023]

(I) Great Sandy desert

(II) Arabian desert

(III) Sahara desert

(IV) Gobi desert

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Correct Answer: (b) I, IV, II, III
Solution:The Great Sandy Desert is a desert in the northwest of Australia, mostly in Western Australia. It is the second- largest desert in Australia (after the Great Victoria Desert). It covers about 284,993 square kilometres (110,036 sq mi).

Arabian Desert, great desert region of extreme southwestern Asia that occupies almost the entire Arabian Peninsula. It is the largest desert area on the continent- covering an area of about 900,000 square miles (2,300,000 square km) and the second largest on Earth, surpassed in size only by the Sahara, in northern Africa.

Sahara desert is the largest desert in the world. Filling nearly all of northern Africa, it measures approximately 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from east to west and between 800 and 1,200 miles from north to south and has a total area of some 3,320,000 square miles (8,600,000 square km).

Gobi, also called Gobi Desert, great desert and semi-desert region of Central Asia. The Gobi stretches across huge portions of both Mongolia and China. The Gobi occupies a vast arc of land 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long and 300 to 600 miles (500 to 1,000 km) wide, with an estimated area of 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 square km). Hence option (b) is correct answer

20. Which one of the following statements is not true regarding the Atacama ? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2006]

Correct Answer: (c) It lies in Southern Chile.
Solution:The Atacama Desert, located in South America, is the driest place on the Earth. There are huge deposits of Sodium, Nitrate, copper and other minerals. This desert is stretched along northern Chile and Southern Peru and not in southern Chile.