This topic sounds simple enough, but you might be surprised by what you learn below.
Most people would say that a desert is where it is hot and dry. That can be true, but that is NOT the official definition of a desert.
A desert is defined based on the amount of annual rainfall. For a desert to be a desert, there has be less than or equal to 10 inches of rain per year. Furthermore, there can be hot or cold deserts.
There are many examples of hot deserts: Sahara and Kalahari (Africa); Gobi (China); Mojave (California); Patagonia and Atacama (South America); and the Great Australian Desert (Australia). Most hot deserts are located between 30°N and 30°S of the equator.
The two best examples of cold deserts are: Antarctica and Greenland. The air temperature is so low in these polar places, the atmosphere simply cannot retain much moisture, thereby creating desert conditions.
The map below shows the location of most of the world's present-day deserts:
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