There are no trees in the desert because there is almost no water there, and trees need water to grow.

Some countries get lots of rain, but little rain falls in the desert. When rain does fall in a desert it begins suddenly, ends as quickly and is absorbed by the sand in the wink of an eye.

People are able to live in the desert in places called oasis. An oasis is where water comes out of the ground from springs. The water fell as rain in far distant mountains and flowed to the oasis underground. Trees and plants also grow there.

© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)