Death Valley

In spite of its arid and inhospitable appearance, Death Valley, California, is home to a variety of plants and animals, including the creosote bush and the desert holly; coyotes, foxes, rats, and rabbits all find a habitat in the region.

A long, straight stretch of road heading for Death Valley, California. The sign indicates that this is Highway 190, which cuts across the Death Valley National Park from east to west, and that the driver is only a short distance from this landmark.

Sunrise over Death Valley, California, USA. This emotive name is supposed to have been given to the valley in 1849, when a group of pioneering settlers travelled through this forbidding desert region. The valley is about 209 km/130 mi long and its lowest point, at Badwater, lies 86 m/282 ft below sea level.

Desert depression in southeastern California, USA; 225 km/140 mi long and 6-26 km/4-16 mi wide; area 8,368 sq km/3,231 sq mi. At 85 m/280 ft below sea level, Death Valley is the lowest point in North America. It is one of the world's hottest and driest places, with summer temperatures sometimes exceeding 51.7°C/125°F and an annual rainfall of less than 5 cm/2 in. Borax, iron ore, tungsten, gypsum, and salts are extracted here.

The Valley is bordered by the Panamint Range to the west and the Amargosa Range to the east, with bordering mountains rising to a height of 3,000 m/10,000 ft. Occupied by the Panamint Native Americans, it was named in 1849 by a group of European settlers who barely survived their journey across it. Death Valley has been a national monument and park since 1933, and the park boundaries were extended in 1994.