Life in the desert.

 Water in the desert.

 Life around desert oases.
 Nomadic people.
Water in the desert.

 In deserts, most of the water from rain is

lost. It either runs off the hard, dry
surface or evaporates into the air.
 A little of it soaks into the ground where
it may eventually join underground rivers
and streams. Some of these underground
rivers and streams bring their water from
mountains hundreds of kilometres away,
where there is heavy rain fall or snow.
Water in the desert.

 In a few places in the desert. water from

underground rivers or streams flows to
the surface.
 The water forms a spring or waterhole,
making the soil fertile so that plants can
grow. This is called an oasis. A river
flowing through a desert may have long
oases along its banks.
Life around desert
oases.

 People built towns and villages around

oases and waterholes in the desert.
 The people who live in these places make
use of every bit of fertile land for growing
crops and rearing animals.
 In the oases of the Sahara Desert, people
grow foodplants such as vegetables,
dates, figs, olives and apricots.
 They keep camels, sheep and goats for
their meat and milk.
Nomadic people.

 Not all desert people live in oasis towns

and villages.
 Nomads or wanderers also live in deserts.
 Some of the Bedouin of the Sahara and
Arabian Deserts are nomads.
 They travel from one oasis to another,
with their herds of sheep, goats and
camels.
 The animals feed on the scattered desert
plants. It is so hot during the day that the
Bedouin often rest during the daytime
and travel at night when it is cool.
 The nomadic Bedouin have no fixed
homes.
Nomadic people.

 Instead, they live in tents made from goat

skins or camel hair. To protect themselves
from heat, cold and wind-blown sand.
 Some of the Mongol people of the cold
Gobi desert in Asia are also nomads.
 The nomadic Mongols are herders,
keeping horses, sheep, cattle, goats and
camels