0.5 cubic millimeterswas theaverage meteorological precipitation of Quillagua, in the Atacama desert (Chile), between 1964 and 2001.
16 % is the proportion of thepopulationworld living in desert regions.
21is the number of regions of the world that are considered adesert, desert steppe or arid savanna. 25 cubic millimeters per yearis the mean annual precipitation in desert areas. 33 percent is the land area occupied by deserts.
40 are theyearswhatthey can pass without a drop of water fallingin these regions.50 metersis the depth reached by theSaharan acacia rootsto find water.
55 degree centigrade in the shadeis the temperature that can be reached during the day in deserts such asSahara.
68 degree centigradeis thethermal oscillationmaximum between day and night in the Sahara desert.
85 degree centigradeis thetemperature that the lichen Ramalina maciformis can withstandon the fiery Saharan rocks.
200 liters is the volume of water that a camel can drink in a quarter of an hour.
300 years can wait for some seeds of Saharan plants to germinate. 600 kilometers is the length that the roots of some desert shrubs reach together to find water.
8,000 litersis the amount ofWaterwhatcan store thegiant saguaro cactusto survive for more than 2 years of drought.
13.000.000. Figure corresponding tomillion tons of potassium, phosphorus and calcium that the wind blows from the Saharan soiland transports to the tropical jungles of South America.
9.1 million km 2is the total area of the world’s largest desert, theSahara. Of these, only 207,200 km2they are partially fertile oases.
