Major Deserts in Australia

Australia is often called the “driest inhabited continent on Earth.”
🌍 Around 70% of the continent is arid or semi-arid, mostly concentrated in the Western and Central regions.

Keyword to remember: “Arid Core” of Australia

🔶 Great Victoria Desert — Australia’s Largest Desert

🔹 Location	Western & Southern Australia
🔹 Key Features	Largest desert in Australia (~400,000+ km²)
🔹 Landscape	Sandy plains, east-west dune systems, salt lakes
🔹 Vegetation	Spinifex grass (dominant desert flora)
🔹 Special Feature	To the south lies the Nullarbor Plain—a huge limestone bedrock plain, almost treeless.

🧠 Mnemonic Tip: “Victoria rules the sandy throne” 👑

🔶 Gibson Desert — Desert of Bedrock & Dunes

| 🔹 Location | Western Australia, north of Great Victoria |
| 🔹 Terrain | Extensive sand ridges, dune fields, with patches of exposed bedrock |

Think of Gibson as the “stone heart” of Australia’s interior.

🔶 Great Sandy Desert — Desert of Red Sands & Salt Lakes

| 🔹 Location | Western Australia & Northern Territory |
| 🔹 Key Features | Red sand plains, dune fields, rocky outcrops |
| 🔹 Lakes | Lake Disappointment, Lake Dora (salt lakes) |
| 🔹 Vegetation | Spinifex grasslands, low shrubs and woodlands |

Despite the name, it’s not the largest desert, but it is vast and scenic.

🧠 Tip: Think of this desert as a “canvas of red and salt” 🟥🧂

🔶 Tanami Desert — The Rocky Redbelt

| 🔹 Location | Northern Territory & Western Australia |
| 🔹 Landscape | Rocky terrain, low hills, red plains, and sand dunes |

The Tanami is more rugged than vast. It has a broken desert surface—ideal to remember for map-based prelims questions.

🔶 Simpson Desert — Dunes, Salt Lakes & Seasonal Rivers

| 🔹 Location | Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia |
| 🔹 Landmarks | Sand dunes, ephemeral salt lakes, and seasonal rivers like Todd and Plenty
| 🔹 Protection | Covered under Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park |

🧭 It’s centrally located, almost like a heartland desert.

🗺️ Let’s Recap with a Comparison Table:

Desert	Location	Key Features	Notable Facts
Great Victoria	Western & Southern Australia	Largest desert; dunes; salt lakes	South: Nullarbor Plain (limestone)
Gibson	Western Australia (north of Great Victoria)	Sand ridges + exposed bedrock	Ancient terrain
Great Sandy	WA & NT	Red sand plains, Lake Disappointment & Dora	Spinifex & salt lakes
Tanami	WA & NT	Rocky hills, red plains, scattered dunes	Arid & rugged
Simpson	NT, QLD, SA	Sand dunes, salt lakes, seasonal rivers	Located in Munga-Thirri NP

🧠 UPSC Relevance:

• Map-Based Questions: Prelims often test desert locations and associated features (e.g., salt lakes, dune direction).
• Environment & Ecology: Unique vegetation like spinifex grass, ephemeral rivers, and salt lakes is crucial.
• Physical Geography: Limestone plains, ancient landforms, and rain-shadow zones can appear in Mains.