About The Mojave

Unique & Extraordinary

The Mojave Desert is an arid rain-shadow desert and the driest desert in North America. It is in the North American Southwest, primarily within southeastern California and southern Nevada, and it occupies 47,877 sq mi (124,000 km2).   While the Mojave is the smallest desert in North America, its unique topography, fauna, flora and terrain make it one of the most extraordinary environments on the planet.  


Very small areas also extend into Utah and Arizona. Its boundaries are generally noted by the presence of Joshua trees, which are native only to the Mojave Desert and are considered an indicator species, and it is believed to support an additional 1,750 to 2,000 species of plants.   


SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojave_Desert

Spectacular Beauty

The Mojave Desert is one of the most popular tourism spots in North America, primarily because of the gambling destination of Las Vegas. The Mojave is also known for its scenic beauty, playing host to Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve. Lakes Mead, Mohave, and Havasu provide water sports recreation, and vast off-road areas entice off-road enthusiasts.  

 

SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojave_Desert

Find out more

Where is the Mojave?

The Mojave Desert is bordered by the Great Basin Desert to its north and the Sonoran Desert to its south and east.  


The central part of the desert is sparsely populated, while its peripheries support large communities such as Las Vegas, Barstow, Lancaster, Palmdale, Victorville, and St. George.  


Topographical boundaries include the Tehachapi Mountains to the west, and the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains to the south. The mountain boundaries are distinct because they are outlined by the two largest faults in California – the San Andreas and Garlock faults. The Mojave Desert displays typical basin and range topography. Higher elevations above 2,000 ft (610 m) in the Mojave are commonly referred to as the High Desert; however, 


Death Valley is the lowest elevation in North America at 280 ft (85 m) below sea level and is one of the Mojave Desert's most notorious places. Large parts of the Mojave Desert are often referred to as the "high desert", in contrast to the "low desert", the Sonoran Desert to the south. Most of the Mojave Desert is above 2,000 ft (610 m), with only Death Valley and the Colorado River basin in the east (including the neighboring Las Vegas Valley) being lower. The Mojave Desert, however, is generally lower than the even higher Great Basin Desert to the north. 


SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojave_Desert

Etymology

Origin of the Name "Mojave"

The spelling Mojave originates from the Spanish language while the spelling Mohave comes from modern English. and is pronounced /moʊˈhɑːvi, mə-/ mo-HAH-vee; Mohave: Hayikwiir Mat'aar.  Both are used today, although the Mojave Tribal Nation officially uses the spelling Mojave; the word is a shortened form of Hamakhaave, their endonym in their native language, which means "beside the water."

 

SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojave_Desert

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Mojave Desert, USA - Madrid, Spain - Canberra, Australia

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