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The Mojave Desert (Mojave is used for the desert while Mohave is used for the native people) occupies a significant portion of southern California and smaller parts of southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, and northwestern Arizona, in the United States. Named after the Mohave tribe of Native Americans, it occupies over 22,000 mi² (35,000 km²) in a typical Basin and Range topography. The Mojave Desert is bounded in part by the Tehachapi together with the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountain ranges. The mountain boundaries are quite distinct since they are outlined by the two largest faults in California: the San Andreas and the Garlock. The Great Basin shrub steppe lies to the north; the warmer Sonoran Desert lies to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are less distinct. One way to determine entry is by observing the presence of Joshua Trees. The desert is believed to have between 1,750 and 2,000 species of plants.
Climate The Mojave Desert receives less than 6 inches (150 mm) of rain a year and is generally between 3,000 and 6,000 feet (1,000 and 2,000 m) in elevation. The Mojave Desert also contains the Mojave National Preserve, as well as the lowest and hottest place in North America: Death Valley, where the temperature normally approaches 120°F (50°C) in late July and early August. Joshua Tree National Park is also located in California. Zion National Park, in Utah, lies at the junction of the Mojave, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau. Despite its aridity, the Mojave (and particularly the Antelope Valley in its southwest) has long been a center of alfalfa production, fed by irrigation coming from groundwater and (in the 20th century) from the California Aqueduct. The Mojave, like all deserts in general, is known for its summer heat; however, much less renowned is the Mojave's wintertime cold. Snow, although uncommon, does fall in parts of the Mojave, like on the 7,929 ft. Clark Mountain north of Interstate 15 and the 11,049 ft. Telescope Peak. Amounts range from just a trace to a foot or more of heavy wet snow which can lead to freeway traffic closures. The coldest wintertime temperature ranges have been below freezing yet above 0°F. That said, many parts of the Mojave typically range from highs easily over 100°F in the summer to lows of around 20–30°F in the winter. Wind is also a weather factor. Las Vegas, situated on the desert's east, has relatively sparse wind, but the community of Mojave, situated at its western end, has wind nearly every day — sometimes surpassing fifty miles per hour. Nearby Tehachapi Pass, due to the high likelihood of reliable wind, is home to an extensive "wind farm" of electrical wind turbines. Cities and regions The Mojave Desert contains a number of ghost towns, the most significant of these being the silver-mining town of Calico, California and the old railroad depot of Kelso. Some of the other ghost towns are of the more modern variety, created when Route 66 (and the lesser-known US Highway 91) were abandoned in favor of the Interstates. The Mojave Desert is crossed by major highways Interstate 15, Interstate 40, US Highway 395 and US Highway 95. Among the more popular and unique tourist attractions in the Mojave is the self described world's tallest thermometer at 134 feet high, which reportedly also has measured highest °F temperature ever recorded in the region, which is located along Interstate 15 in Baker, California. Kelso Dunes is also a popular recreation spot. The Mojave River is an important source of water in this arid land. A part of the Colorado River also traverses its far eastern portion. The Mojave Desert is not entirely rural as a few cities do exist there. Las Vegas, Nevada is the Mojave's largest city and metropolitan area. Palmdale is the largest city by population on the California side of the desert and is part of the Lancaster/Palmdale Urbanized Area, a U.S. Census Bureau defined term. Other incorporated cities include Littlefield and Kingman in Arizona; Boulder City, Henderson, Jean, North Las Vegas, Laughlin, Pahrump, and Primm in Nevada; Victorville, Barstow, Ridgecrest, Twentynine Palms, and Needles in California; and Hurricane, Ivins, La Verkin, Virgin, St. George, Santa Clara, Springdale, and Washington in Utah. Angelenos often refer to its southwestern portions, the Antelope Valley and the Victor Valley, as the High Desert. Mojave Desert in fiction Plants Animals Photos from the Mojave Desert Image:Mojave_Pinnacles.jpg|Pinnacles National Natural Landmark Image:Mojave_Kelso.jpg|Kelso Sand Dunes Image:Mojave_AftonCanyon.jpg|Slot Canyon in Afton Canyon Image:Mojave_DustDevil.jpg|Dust Devil, El Mirage Dry Lake Image:Mojave_CoyoteDryLake.jpg|Water hole, Coyote Dry Lake Image:Mojave_Rainbow2.jpg|Rainbow Canyon, near the city of Barstow Image:Mojave_Amboy.jpg|Amboy Crater Image:Mojave_SummerStorm.jpg|Summer Storm See also | ||||||||
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