1. Deserts occur in areas where evaporation exceeds precipitation, covering about 30% of the Earth's surface.
2. Deserts are classified based on average annual precipitation, ranging from extremely arid with no rain for 12 months to semi-arid with 250-500 mm of rain.
3. Hot deserts near the Tropics have large daily temperature variations without cloud cover, while cold deserts have mild to warm summers and very cold winters.