Deserts of the World Quiz

Question 1

What is the world's largest hot desert?

Accepted Answer

Sahara Desert

Answer

Arabian Desert

Answer

Gobi Desert

Answer

Australian Desert

Question 2

What is the world's largest desert overall (including cold deserts)?

Accepted Answer

Antarctic Desert

Answer

Sahara

Answer

Gobi

Answer

Arctic Desert

Question 3

The Gobi Desert spans which two countries?

Accepted Answer

China and Mongolia

Answer

Russia and Kazakhstan

Answer

China and Kazakhstan

Answer

Mongolia and Russia

Question 4

Which desert is known as the world's driest (non-polar) desert?

Accepted Answer

Atacama

Answer

Sahara

Answer

Namib

Answer

Arabian

Question 5

What type of terrain makes up only about 20-25% of the Sahara Desert?

Accepted Answer

Sand dunes (ergs)

Answer

Mountains

Answer

Oases

Answer

Rocky plains

Question 6

The Namib Desert is found primarily in which country?

Accepted Answer

Namibia

Answer

South Africa

Answer

Angola

Answer

Botswana

Question 7

What is a desert defined as in geographical terms?

Accepted Answer

An area receiving less than 250mm of precipitation annually

Answer

A sandy area with no vegetation

Answer

A hot, sun-baked landscape

Answer

Any treeless landscape

Question 8

The Sonoran Desert — home to the famous saguaro cactus — is found in:

Accepted Answer

Both southern USA and northern Mexico

Answer

Mexico only

Answer

USA only

Answer

Central America

Question 9

The Arabian Desert covers most of which peninsula?

Accepted Answer

Arabian Peninsula

Answer

Iberian Peninsula

Answer

Indian Peninsula

Answer

Anatolian Peninsula

Question 10

Which African desert is famous for its dramatic red sand dunes, some of the tallest in the world?

Accepted Answer

Namib

Answer

Sahara

Answer

Kalahari

Answer

Danakil

Question 11

The Kalahari Desert, spanning Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia, is unusual because:

Accepted Answer

It has rich red sand and supports far more vegetation and wildlife than a true desert

Answer

It never gets rain

Answer

It is entirely underground

Answer

It floods every year

Question 12

Death Valley in California holds which world record?

Accepted Answer

Highest recorded air temperature on Earth (56.7°C / 134°F)

Answer

Lowest average annual rainfall

Answer

World's lowest elevation desert

Answer

World's largest sand dunes

Question 13

The Patagonian Desert in Argentina is South America's largest desert. What type of desert is it?

Accepted Answer

Cold desert

Answer

Hot desert

Answer

Coastal desert

Answer

Rain shadow desert

Question 14

Which plant is specially adapted to store water in desert environments?

Accepted Answer

Cactus

Answer

Palm tree

Answer

Eucalyptus

Answer

Baobab

Question 15

The Rub' al Khali ('Empty Quarter') is the world's largest continuous sand desert. Where is it?

Accepted Answer

The Arabian Peninsula

Answer

The Sahara

Answer

Central Australia

Answer

The Gobi

Question 16

What is an 'oasis'?

Accepted Answer

A place in a desert with water and vegetation, often around a spring

Answer

A mirage in the desert

Answer

A dry riverbed in a desert

Answer

A sand dune formation

Question 17

The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia and Eritrea is notable for being:

Accepted Answer

One of the hottest and lowest places on Earth, with volcanic activity

Answer

The world's largest desert

Answer

The source of the Nile River

Answer

The oldest inhabited desert region

Question 18

Australia is the world's driest inhabited continent. Which large desert covers its interior?

Accepted Answer

All of the above are separate Australian deserts

Answer

The Australian Desert

Answer

The Simpson Desert

Answer

The Great Victoria Desert

Question 19

A 'wadi' in desert geography refers to what?

Accepted Answer

A dry riverbed or valley that fills with water during rain

Answer

A desert oasis

Answer

A type of sand dune

Answer

A desert trading post

Question 20

What percentage of Earth's land surface is covered by deserts?

Accepted Answer

About 25-33%

Answer

About 10%

Answer

About 50%

Answer

About 15%