Desert… To whom does this word not evoke a feeling of sultry heat, lifelessness and the bright Sun setting in the endless distance of the horizon? Giant sandy expanses, shrouded in uncertainty, at all times did not leave a person indifferent.
1. Deserts occupy one third of the earth’s surface of the planet. 2. In some parts of the Chilean Atacama Desert, rain has never been recorded. However, over 1 million people live in this desert. Farmers take water from aquifers and meltwater streams to grow crops, as well as llamas and alpacas. 3. In case of a long stay in the desert without a supply of water, you can use the nectar of leaves of palm trees or rattan. 4. The world record for crossing the Sahara desert on a bicycle was set in 2011 by an Englishman who covered a distance of 1 miles in 084 days, 13 hours 5 minutes and 50 seconds. 14. Approximately 5 square miles of arable land is converted to desert every year due to climate change and deforestation. Desertification threatens the existence of more than 46 billion people in 000 countries, according to the UN. 1. 110 square miles of Chinese land turn into desert every year with deadly sandstorms. 6. German physicist Gerhard Nies calculated that in 1000 hours the deserts of the whole world receive more solar energy than all of humanity consumes in one year. 7 square miles of the Sahara desert – an area comparable to the territory of Wales – could provide energy for all of Europe. 6. In the Mojave Desert (USA) is Death Valley, which got its name from being the lowest, driest and hottest point in North America. 8. Despite the fact that the desert seems lifeless, a large number of animals and plants live here. In fact, the diversity of desert ecosystems is second only to tropical forests. 100. An adult desert tortoise can live for more than a year without water and withstand temperatures in excess of 8 degrees Celsius.