#desert

• Anastatica — A monotypic genus of herbaceous xerophytic plants in the Brassicaceae family, with its sole representative species being 'Anastatica hierochuntica' (Rose of Jericho); it is renowned for its extreme capacity for anhydrobiosis adapted to desert climates. The plant dries up and rolls into a compact ball during droughts, unfolding and regaining its vegetal appearance upon contact with water.
• Ancistrocactus — A genus of succulent plants in the family Cactaceae, native to the arid and semi-desert regions of the southern United States (Texas) and northern Mexico. It comprises relatively small, globular to cylindrical cacti with well-defined ribs and areoles bearing strong central spines, at least one of which is long and sharply hooked, a morphological feature that gives the genus its name.
• Aeolian corrasion — A geomorphological process of disintegration, fragmentation, and structural destruction of rocks under the direct and prolonged action of wind laden with abrasive sand or dust particles; natural aeolian corrasion or sandblasting.
• Antofagasta — A major port city and municipality in northern Chile, located on the Pacific Ocean coast and serving as the capital of the homonymous region. Structurally situated at the edge of the Atacama Desert, this urban center is a fundamental economic pillar of the country, historically and globally recognized for its massive export of minerals (especially copper and saltpeter) and for its precision industrial and port infrastructure.
• Arabia — A vast peninsula located in southwestern Asia, bounded by the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean, serving as the geographic, historical, and spiritual core of the Arab world and Islam. In common usage, the term can refer either to the entire geographic landmass of the Arabian Peninsula or, by contextual political shorthand, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Pointleaf manzanita — A species of evergreen, erect shrub in the family Ericaceae, native to the arid and mountainous regions of Mexico and the southwestern United States, commonly known as pointleaf manzanita. In a structural-botanical sense, this plant is adapted to extreme drought and wildfires, featuring smooth, deep mahogany-red bark, rigid, elliptic leaves with a sharp or pungent tip, and small, round berries resembling miniature apples, which serve as a critical food source for local wildlife.
• Areic — Lacking permanent flowing watercourses or an organized surface drainage system toward the ocean; characteristic of desert or karstic regions where low precipitation or extreme soil permeability prevents the formation of a structural hydrographic network. In an ecological sense, it describes an arid territory where groundwater fails to supply stable surface networks.
• Areism — A geographical and hydrological phenomenon characterized by the complete or structural absence of permanent watercourses and an organized surface drainage network within a region; the state of being an areic territory. Areism is determined by extreme climatic aridity or the rapid infiltration of water into highly permeable soils, such as sandy or limestone layers.
• Argan tree — A vernacular genus name, eponym, or old synonymic variant historically used for classifying the argan tree (Argania spinosa), a species endemic to the semi-desert regions of southwestern Morocco. In a structural-botanical sense, the plant features a gnarled trunk, spiny branches, small oval leaves, and drupe-type fruits containing kernels rich in essential oils, serving as a critical ecological resource against desertification and a major source for the cosmetics industry.
• Arica — A port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of the homonymous province and the Arica and Parinacota Region, known as the 'City of Eternal Spring' due to its mild arid climate and famous for the mummies of the Chinchorro culture, the oldest artificial mummies in the world.
• To aridify — The action of becoming or causing to become arid, dry, and barren; a process through which a soil, region, or ecosystem loses its natural moisture due to prolonged drought, massive deforestation, or global climate change. Figuratively, it represents the act of transforming a speech, activity, or relationship into something rigid, monotonous, and devoid of dynamism or expressiveness.
• Aridification — The action of aridifying and its result; the climatic and ecological process of gradual drying of a region, characterized by a drastic decline in water reserves, degradation of soil structure, and reduction of vegetative cover. It represents a phase preceding desertification, having major consequences on biodiversity, agriculture, and environmental structural stability.
• Ariocarpus retusus — A cactus species endemic to the arid and semi-desert regions of Mexico (genus Ariocarpus), characterized by the absence of spines in adult specimens and the presence of robust, triangular, grayish-green tubercles, often retuse or rounded at the apex. Commonly known as 'living rock', this globose cactus is extremely slow-growing and features a massive taproot, being bio-structurally adapted to survive within the cracks of limestone rocks.
• Arizona — A federal state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America, known globally for its spectacular arid landscapes, geological formations of immense significance such as the Grand Canyon, and its predominantly desert climate. Its territory represents a center of historical cultural convergence, housing numerous Native American reservations and urban areas undergoing rapid technological and demographic expansion in the modern era.
• Harmattan — An extremely hot, dry, and dust-laden local wind that blows regularly from the Sahara Desert toward the Atlantic Ocean, primarily affecting the West African coast. This structural climatic phenomenon manifests especially during the winter season, drastically reducing visibility due to dust haze and having a major impact on agriculture and human health in the affected regions.
• Armstrongite — A rare silicate mineral (hydrated calcium zirconium silicate, formula CaZrSi6O15·3H2O) characterized by monoclinic translucent crystals, light to reddish brown color, and vitreous luster. Discovered in the Khan Bogd massif in the Gobi Desert (Mongolia).
• Arrhenatherum desertorum — A xerophytic species of perennial herbaceous plant within the Arrhenatherum genus, family Poaceae, ecologically adapted to arid, rocky, or semi-desert soils of the Mediterranean regions and the Middle East. It is characterized by rigid stems, narrow leaves with a protective waxy layer designed to reduce evapotranspiration, and a deep root system, holding crucial ecological importance for stabilizing eroded soils in warm climates.
• Arroyo — A geographical term of Hispanic origin utilized internationally to designate the dry, deep, and steep bed of a stream or torrent located in an arid or semi-arid region, which rapidly floods with water only after short, violent rainstorms. The phenomenon is characteristic of desert or steppe landscapes, frequently causing flash floods and intense linear soil erosion.
• Asmi — A traditional festive dessert from Sri Lanka, consisting of a crispy deep-fried sweet made from rice flour and coconut milk, thickened using the juice extracted from 'davul kurundu' leaves (wild cinnamon); the batter is poured in thin overlapping strands into hot oil to form a bird's nest structure and finally drizzled with a thick, colorful treacle or sugar syrup, serving as a staple sweet for the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year.
• Astrophytum capricorne — A species of xerophytic plants within the Astrophytum genus (Cactaceae family), native to the semi-desert regions of Mexico (Chihuahuan Desert), characterized by a spherical stem that becomes cylindrical at maturity, divided into 7-8 sharp ribs. The species is distinguished by its long, flexible, flattened, and twisted spines reminiscent of a goat's horns (or a capricorn's), and by its large, yellow flowers with a deep purple or red center.