A short presentation on comparing and contrasting the Sahara and the Ladakh deserts based on habitat, occupations, and much more. It is a beautiful presentation in the from of pdf created by the author Pranjal Agarwal.

1. The Great
Deserts
Submitted by Pranjal Agarwal
Class 7-B
Roll No: 26

2. What are deserts ?
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3. The Sahara Desert
Sahara is the largest desert in the world.
Filling nearly all of northern Africa, it
measures approximately 4,800 km from east
to west and between 800 miles from north to
south and has a total area of some 8,600,000
square km; the actual area varies as the
desert expands and contracts over time. The
Sahara is bordered in the west by the Atlantic
Ocean, in the north by the Atlas
Mountains and Mediterranean Sea, in the
east by the Red Sea, and in the south by
the Sahel—a semiarid region that forms a
transitional zone between the Sahara to the
north and the belt of humid savannas to the
south. 3

4. The Ladakh Desert
Ladakh is a cold desert in India. It lies in the
Great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu
and Kashmir. It has the mighty Karakoram
Range in the North and in the south, it is bound
by the Zanskar mountains. Several rivers flow
through Ladakh. The most important one is the
Indus. These rivers form deep valleys and
gorges. They add to the scenic beauty of the
place. Several glaciers are found in Ladakh. The
Gangotri glacier is an example. The altitude in
Ladakh varies from about 3000m in Kargil to
more than 8000 m in the Karakoram.
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5. Climate- A comparative Analysis.
The Sahara Desert
• The north region of the Sahara desert has a
dry subtropical climate. This is
characterized by a very cold winter season,
a scorching summer, annual high
temperature ranges, and two rainy seasons.
This climate is caused due to the high
pressure cells that are found over the tropic
of Cancer.
• The central part of the Sahara, known as
the Libyan Desert, is the driest, receiving an
average of less than 1 inch of rain per year.
Other parts of the Sahara receive an
average of up to 4 inches of annual rainfall
The Ladakh Desert
• Due to its high altitude, Ladakh is always freezing
cold and dry for most of the year. The air is so thin
that you we feel the sun’s heat intensely. In
summers, the temperature during the day is above
zero degrees and the night temperature is much
below -30°C. In winters the temperature remains as
low as -40°C most of the time.
• The rainfall in this region is as low as 10 cm
annually. This is because it lies in the rain shadow of
the Himalayas. The area experiences freezing winds
and burning sunlight. Therefore, if you sit in
the sun with your hand in the shade; you will
experience sunstroke as well as frostbite at the
same time. 5

6. Flora and Fauna- A comparative Analysis.
The Sahara Desert
•Vegetation in the Sahara desert
includes cactus, date palms and
acacia. In some places there are
oasis – green islands with date
palms surrounding them. Camels,
hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions,
many varieties of snakes and
lizards are the prominent animal
species living there.
The Ladakh Desert
• Due to high aridity, the vegetation is sparse. There
are scanty patches of grasses and shrubs for
animals to graze. Groves of willows and poplars
are seen in the valleys. During the summers, fruit
trees such as apples, apricots and walnuts bloom.
Several species of birds are sighted in Ladakh.
Robins, redstarts, Tibetan snowcock, raven and
hoopoe are common. Some of these are migratory
birds. The animals of Ladakh are wild goats, wild
sheep, yak and special kinds of dogs. The animals
are reared to provide for the milk, meat and hides.
Yak’s milk is used to make cheese and butter. The
hair of the sheep and goat is used to make
woollens. 6

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8. Occupations- A comparative Analysis.
The Sahara Desert
• The Sahara desert despite its harsh climate
has been inhabited by various groups of
people, who pursue different activities.
Among them are the Bedouins and Tuaregs.
These groups are nomadic tribes rearing
livestock such as goats, sheep, camels and
horses. These animals provide them with
milk, hides from which they make leather for
belts, slippers, water bottles; hair is used for
mats, carpets, clothes and blankets. They
wear heavy robes as protection against dust
storms and hot winds.
The Ladakh Desert
• In the summer season the people are
busy cultivating barley, potatoes, peas,
beans and turnip. The climate in winter
months is so harsh that people keep
themselves engaged in festivities and
ceremonies. The women are very hard
working. They work not only in the
house and fields, but also manage small
business and shops. Tourism is a major
activity with several tourists streaming
in from within India and abroad.
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10. 10
EQUATOR
Ganga- Brahmaputra Basin
Ganga- Brahmaputra Delta
Amazon Basin
Sahara Desert
Ladakh Desert

11. THANK
YOU
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