Most Extreme Deserts In The World

Around one third of the Earth's land is covered with deserts, the arid areas of little rain and poor vegetation. The most extreme non-polar deserts are some record-breaking destinations that feature the driest, hottest or saltiest places on our planet's surface.

 

The Namib Desert. Namibia. The world's oldest desert.

Namib Desert. By geoftheref

The Namib Desert, stretching along the coast of Namibia, Africa, has experienced arid conditions for at least 55 million years, making it the oldest desert in the world. Namib receives less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually. This massive desert of an area around 80 900 square km (31 200 square miles) is almost completely barren and uninhabited, but it is home to one of the tallest sand dunes that exceed 300 meters (980 ft).

Namib Desert Dunes. By M0Rt3s

The Namib Desert by M0Rt3s

The Atacama Desert. Chile. The world's driest desert.

Tatio Geysers, Atacama Desert. By Gabriel Prehn Britto

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest places on Earth. It is literally rainless, as it is locked between the Andes and the Chilean Coast Range, and therefore, it receives almost no rain. The average rainfall in this part of Chile is 1 millimeter (0.04 in) per year, but some regional weather stations have never reported a single drop. It is so dry that the local mountains that exceed 6,500 meters (22,000 ft) have no glaciers.

Atacama Desert. By Gabriel Prehn Britto

By Phillie Casablanca

The Uyuni Desert. Bolivia. The world's saltiest desert.

Uyuni Desert. By Tati@

The Uyuni Desert in Bolivia is the world's largest salt desert. It covers 10,582 square km (4,085 square miles) and contains 10 billion tons of salt. This planet's largest salt flat used to be an inland sea called Lake Minchin that dried up and left behind a huge surface covered with salt. Besides salt, Salar de Uyuni holds half of the world's reserves of lithium.

Uyuni Desert. By weltumrunder

Uyuni Desert. By twiga269

The Aralkum. The world's youngest desert. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Where Aral Sea used to be. By neil banas

The Aral Sea that lies between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan used to be the world's fourth largest saline body of water that covered the area of 68,000 sq km. Since the 1960s, however, the sea has been gradually disappearing due to the Soviet Union irrigation projects. In 2007 the sea was 10% of its original size, and was replaced by the youngest desert on our planet - the Aralkum.

Aral Sea, Aral Desert. By martijnmunneke

Ship wrecks. Aral Sea. By neil banas

The Sahara. The world's largest desert.The North Africa.

Sahara Desert. By nunavut

The Sahara, "the Greatest Desert", covering most of Northern Africa is almost as large as the continent of Europe or the territory of the USA. It takes up 9,000,000 square kilometers (3,500,000 sq mi) and is bounded to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east by the Red Sea. The desert covers huge parts of eleven African countries such as, among others, Egypt, Morocco or Tunisia. The Libyan Desert, part of Sahara, reported the world's highest temperature of 57.8 °C (136.0 °F) in 1922.

Sahara. By nunavut

The Carcross Desert. The world's smallest desert. Canada.

Carcross Desert. By teamscuby

The Canadian Carcross Desert, located outside Yukon, has only 1 square mile (2.6 km2). It is considered to be the world's smallest desert, though it is actually too humid to be called a true desert. Nevertheless, it is much drier than the surrounding region, with less than 50 cm (19 in) of rain annually.

Carcross Desert. By jkbrooks85

There's Much More To Africa Than Safari

Africa, the world's second-largest continent, might be considered by many a land of contrasts, difficult past and uncertain future. Africa, though a place of quite a few complicated issues, lures travelers with its raw beauty, irresistible charm, and hundreds of truly unspoiled destinations. The African incredible landscapes, whether these are the harsh deserts of the North, lush vineyards in the South or surrealistic baobabs of Madagascar, have a mind-blowing power and serious potential to become really addictive.

7. Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro

Mt. Meru's region. Tanzania

Tanzania is home to two amazingly beautiful and majestic mountains: Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro. Located 70 kilometers (44 miles) from each other, the two summits are the iconic features of Tanzania's landscape.

Mt. Meru, an active volcano, is 4,566 meters (14,980 ft) high, while Mt. Kilimanjaro, called the top of Africa, is the continent's highest summit, and one of the world's highest freestanding mountains. It has 5,892 meters (19,331 ft).

Mt. Meru's ash cone.

Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Sunrise at Stella Point, near Kilimanjaro.

6. Victoria Falls. Zimbabwe and Zambia. 

Victoria Falls.

In the Kololo language the waterfalls are called "Smoke that Thunders" and this name seems to be more adequate to this dazzling natural phenomenon.

Victoria Falls are neither the highest nor the widest, but for sure the world's largest falls - they are 1,708 meters (5,600 ft) wide and 108 meters (360 ft) high. The colossal size and the sheer enormity of the site's beauty make the falls one of the most amazing and visited destinations in Africa.

Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls.

5. The White Desert. Egypt.

White Desert, Egypt.

The White Desert, although it is only a tiny sister of the enormous Sahara, deserves the attention thanks to its uniqueness. The desert, located 45 km north of Farafra, a small oasis in Egypt, is home to amazing white rock formations that resemble giant sculptures and give the land its stunning, though a bit unrealistic look.

White Desert, Egypt.

White Desert

4. The Masai Mara. Kenya.

Masai Mara.

The Masai Mara's wildlife is immense, but striking quietness and harmony can be felt in the air of this large Kenyan natural park. The Masai Mara National Reserve is home to, among others, wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, and all prominent members of the "Big Five". It is one of the best Africa's safari destinations and Kenya's truly natural jewel.

Masai Mara sunset.

Masai Mara

3. Madagascar

Baobabs in Madagaskar.

The beauty of Madagascar lies in its weirdness. This unique island features amazing plant and animal species, such as 70 varieties of lemur, 60 varieties of the pitcher plants and crazy-looking octopus trees or surrealistic baobabs. Besides its extraordinary wildlife, the island is home to beautiful sites of rice plantations, tropical beaches, lush rain forests and majestic peaks of the Ankaratra Massif highlands.

Rice plantations in Madagascar.

Baobab.

Anja Resrve, Madagascar.

2. Western Cape. South Africa.

Fall in Western Cape.

The lush valleys, fertile vineyards and rolling hills of the Western Cape, a province located in the south west of South Africa, form a beautiful jigsaw puzzle made of natural pieces fitting each other perfectly. The province's topographic diversity makes the Western Cape an exceptional destination of sublime beauty and captivating nature.

Knysna Lagoon, Western Cape.

Piekeniers Pass. Western Cape.

1. Ngorongoro Crater. Tanzania. 

Wildebeest in Tanzania.

The Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, the world's largest volcanic caldera, was formed by a giant volcano that exploded and collapsed on itself some 3 million years ago. It is not without reason that the site is called the eighth wonder of the world. The crater is home to abundant wildlife such as giant buffaloes, beautiful flamingos, wildebeests, lions, zebras, and elephants. The Ngorongoro's magical scenery and vastness make the site one of Africa's most visited destinations.   

Ngorongoro Crater.

Flamingos. Tanzania.

Most Hottest Places on Earth.

In search for the perfect holiday spot with endless summer, shining sun and hot weather, be cautious not to pick up the hottest place on Earth. The extremely high temperatures may turn your paradise into the hell. Literally.

Here is the list of the hottest (in terms of temperature) places on Earth.

 

Africa 57.8°C

Danakil depression in Ethiopia is considered to be the world’s hottest places. During the dry season the average temperature totals to 48°C (118 °F)!

Desert in Ethiopia.

However, that is EL Azizia in Libya that hit the record-breaking result of 57.8°C (135.9 °F). Well, that was on 13 September 1922, but, I bet, there’s still someone alive who remembers that hot day.

Libya

North America 56.7°C

Death Valley, California, U.S.A reached 56.7°C (134° F) on 10 July, 1913.

Death Valley

Deatn Valley

Asia 53.9°C

Israel reported 53.9°C (°F 129)  in Tirat Tzvi in 1944. It is still hot nowadays in the country where the temperature exceeds 40°C on average during the summer.

Israel

Dried river bank, Israel.

Australia 50.7°C

It can get really hot (and bad) in Australia when bushfires and droughts spread throughout the continent. 2008/2009 summer with its 47°C was close to the record of 1960 when Oodnadatta in South Australia reported 50.7°C (123.3°F).

Road in Oodnadatta

Lake Hume, Australia.

Europe 50°C

Try to walk through the centre of Sevilla in Spain at noon in July and you will know what it means to live in the hottest place in Europe. It easily gets over 40°C during the summer in the town. That was on 4 August 1881, however, when Sevilla reported 50°C (122 °F) – the hottest day recorded in Europe.

Sevilla's street in shade