A region of red-brown sand dunes in southern Afghanistan whose name simply means “land of sand”.
Area
40,000 km²
Continent
Asia
Location
Southern Afghanistan
Temperature
Up to 48°C
Rainfall
Very low
Climate
Hot desert
About the Registan Desert
The Registan is a dune desert in southern Afghanistan, between the Helmand and Arghandab rivers. Its name means “place of sand” in Persian, and shifting dunes driven by the wind gradually advance across the landscape. Hardy nomads graze flocks on its sparse fringes.
Did you know?
Its wind-driven dunes slowly creep across the land, burying grazing ground over time.
Highlights
- Its name means “land of sand”
- Shifting, wind-driven dunes
- Grazed by Afghan nomads
Photo gallery
Life in the Registan Desert
Animals, birds and plants that have adapted to survive this landscape.
Animals
Dromedary camel
The one-humped “ship of the desert”, able to go for days without water.
Jerboa
A tiny hopping rodent with long hind legs, bounding like a mini-kangaroo.
Birds
Houbara bustard
A well-camouflaged desert bird of Arabia and Central Asia.
Sandgrouse
Flies vast distances to water and soaks it up in its breast feathers.
Trees & plants
Saxaul
A gnarled Central-Asian tree that anchors shifting cold-desert sands.
Acacia (thorn tree)
Flat-topped thorn trees that survive on scarce desert groundwater.
Day & night in the Registan Desert
Deserts are famous for their extreme temperature swings. Flip between day and night to feel the difference — these are typical figures for a subtropical desert.
Midday sun
+45°C
typical daytime high
Blistering daytime heat gives way to surprisingly cool nights — clear skies let the day’s warmth escape, and the temperature can tumble by 30°C or more after dark.
Recorded range for the Registan Desert: Up to 48°C