List of deserts by area

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/list-of-deserts-by-area

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the largest desert?Antarctic Desert (Area: 14,200,000 km²)
2. What is the population of antarctic desert?Transient scientific and support staff (typically < 5,000)
3. What is the biggest desert in the world?The Antarctic Desert is the largest, covering about 14.2 million square kilometers.
4. Why are polar deserts like Antarctica and the Arctic still called deserts?They get very little rain or snow—less than 50 millimeters a year—so they are dry even though they are cold.

Polar Desert: A desert characterized by extremely low temperatures and very little precipitation, often covered in ice or snow.
Xerophytic: Plants adapted to survive in dry environments with little water.
Desertification: The process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.