Sonoran Desert

The largest and hottest desert in North America, straddling the US state of Arizona and the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California. To the west, the Mojave and Colorado deserts in California are extensions of the Sonoran Desert. covering some 30,000 sq mi/78,000 sq km in southwest.

The Sonoran Desert is known locally by several names. For example, it is sometimes called the Gila Desert, from the name of the river flowing through its centre, or the Yuma Desert, from its proximity to the town of Yuma. The desert covers a wide range of terrains; it is noted for its native saguaro and organ pipe cactus, and for the animals that have adapted to its extremely harsh climate, but there is also irrigated agriculture along the lower Gila and Colorado rivers. The Baboquivari, Harcuvar, Maricopa, and other mountain ranges are situated here, along with the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and the Barry M Goldwater military testing range. Phoenix lies to the northeast, while Tucson is sited on the desert's eastern fringe.