The desert biome covers approximately one-third of the Earth’s land surface. This vast expanse is characterized by its extreme aridity, experiencing less than 10 inches of precipitation annually. Deserts can be categorized into several types, including hot deserts like the Sahara and cold deserts such as Antarctica. The size of individual deserts varies greatly; for instance, the Sahara is around 3.6 million square miles, making it one of the largest hot deserts in the world. In total, when considering all desert regions globally, the biome represents a significant portion of our planet’s geography.