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Desert landscapes have certain common features. Desert soil is often composed mostly of sand and sand dunes may be present. Exposures of rocky terrain are typical, and reflect minimal soil development and sparseness of vegetation. Bottom lands may be salt-covered flats.
There are different forms of deserts. Cold deserts can be covered in snow, because such locations don't receive much precipitation, but what falls remains frozen as snow pack. Non-polar deserts are hot because they have little water. Water tends to have a cooling, or at least a moderating, effect in environments where it is plentiful. In many parts of the world deserts are created by a rain shadow effect in which air masses lose much of their moisture as they move over a mountain range. (Katabatic or Foehn winds)
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Listing of deserts of the world
Americas
See also: List of North American deserts
Africa
Asia-Pacific
See also: outback, oasis, desert survival, desert varnish, blowout, badlands