Life in desserts

• The Sahara desert is the world's largest desert, covering an area of around 8.54 million sq. km
• The Sahara desert touches eleven countries: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara
• The Sahara desert was once a lush green plain with rivers, crocodiles, elephants, lions, giraffes, ostriches, sheep, cattle, and goats
• The climate of the Sahara desert is scorching hot and parch dry, with temperatures during the day reaching as high as 50°C and dropping near zero degrees at night
• Vegetation in the Sahara desert includes cactus, date palms, acacia, and animals like camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, snakes, and lizards
• The Sahara desert has been inhabited by groups like the Bedouins and Tuaregs, who rear livestock for milk, hides, and other products
• Oil has been discovered in Algeria, Libya, and Egypt, transforming the Sahara desert, and other minerals found in the area include iron, phosphorus, manganese, and uranium
• The cultural landscape of the Sahara desert is changing with modernization, including the construction of office buildings, superhighways, and the transition of nomadic herdsmen to city life
• Depressions in the Sahara desert form oases where underground water reaches the surface, creating fertile areas for settlement and agriculture
• Ladakh, a cold desert in the Great Himalayas, has sparse vegetation, including grasses, shrubs, willows, poplars, and fruit trees like apples, apricots, and walnuts
• Animals in Ladakh include wild goats, wild sheep, yak, and special dogs, providing milk, meat, and hides for the inhabitants
• People in Ladakh are either Muslims or Buddhists, with several Buddhist monasteries like Hemis, Thiksey, Shey, and Lamayuru dotting the landscape
• Tourism is a major activity in Ladakh, with visitors engaging in activities like visiting monasteries, treks, witnessing ceremonies, and festivities
• The people of Ladakh have learned to live in balance and harmony with nature, using resources like water and fuel with reverence and care
• The Manali-Leh highway crosses four passes: Rohtang la, Baralacha la, Lungalacha la, and Tanglang la, opening only between July and September after snow clearance