Photography is our medium to ensnare the essence of our surroundings. The desert, by definition a region lacking in moisture from precipitation, at surface represents a dry, arid, and unforgiving open space. In reality, some beautiful flora and fauna flourish amidst this landscape, along with homo sapien residents. A desert is not just the dry, hot air and sand. It can also be a rugged, freezing iced tundra.

Mystique lingers in the desert air. A photograph captures a scene worth a thousand words, and the photos below tell a story of their own. Please click on the images themselves to go to the image source.

Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Desert takes up the majority of the Arabian Peninsula and includes countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, even stretching to some parts of Iraq.

Kuwait

Saudi Arabia

Saharan Desert

The Saharan Desert is probably the best known, and the largest, hot desert in the world. It is located in North Africa and stretches from Egypt in the East to Morocco in the West.

Mauritania

Morocco

Tunisia

Antarctica

The Antarctic Desert is not one that usually comes to mind when thinking of an arid climate. It is, however, the largest desert in the world, situated around the South Pole.

Kalahari Desert

The Kalahari Desert is located in the southern part of the African continent and includes parts of Namibia, South African, and Botswana.

Asian Deserts

Asia is indeed a land scattered with deserts. They include the Gobi in Mongolia, Dasht-e Lut and Dasht-e Kavir in Iran, Kara Kum, which spreads across Central Asia, and many more.

China

Iran

Mongolia

Pakistan

Uzbekistan

Australian Outback

Australia, besides from being only country in the world to claim its own continent, is also host to up to seven different desert regions.

Southwestern USA

There are six deserts in the United States, all of which cover parts of the states of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and California. The most famous (and infamous) is Death Valley, where some of the highest temperatures on Earth have been recorded.

Arizona

California

Nevada

Utah

The Negev

The Negev desert is located in the southern part of Israel. It is part of Biblical land, having been mentioned many times in the holy books of Judaism and Islam. In Arabic, it is known as al-Naqab.