Sonoran Desert

Sonoran Desert is a desert located in the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico in North America. It is the hottest desert in Mexico, with an area of 260,000 square kilometers. The western portion of the United States–Mexico border passes through the Sonoran Desert.

Geography

The Sonoran Desert covers large parts of the Southwestern United States in Arizona and California, as well as the Northwestern Mexico in Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is the third largest desert in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest in North America, after the Great Basin Desert.

Climate

The Sonoran Desert features a unique and rich desert climate, with two rainy seasons in the winter and late summer. The average annual rainfall ranges from less than 3 inches in the west to up to 16 inches in the east.

Flora and Fauna

The Sonoran Desert is home to a variety of unique and endemic plant and animal species. It is the only place in the world where the famous saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) grows in the wild.

Saguaro at sunset. Saguaro is the iconic plant species of the Sonoran Desert.

Human Habitation

The Sonoran Desert is also home to numerous indigenous peoples, who have lived in the region for thousands of years. Their cultures and livelihoods are deeply intertwined with the desert's ecology.

Conservation

Several national parks and other protected areas have been established in the Sonoran Desert, aimed at preserving its unique ecosystems and biodiversity. These include the Saguaro National Park and the Sonoran Desert National Monument.