This feature on deserts was transferred to the Cool Planet website from On the Line. Much of the information here relates to the time when the millennium dawned.

On our planet of extremes, perhaps the most frightening and yet fascinating environments are the deserts. Covering around a third of the earth's land surface, they are the harshest and most barren environments in the world - inhospitable and seemingly incapable of sustaining anything but the most rudimentary plant and animal life. In this feature we focus our attention upon those deserts which lie along the meridian line.

We begin by taking a look at the factors such as climate and landscape that make the deserts distinctive. Following this we consider the geography of deserts - where in the world they are to be found. Other sections explore the plant and animal life that can be found in the deserts along the meridian line, as well as some of the important conservation issues which we are facing in connection with this type of environment.

photo courtesy of WWF-UK

Exploration | Tropical rain forests | African deserts | On the Line home page