<P> This list of North American deserts identifies areas of the continent that receive less than 10 in (250 mm) annual precipitation . The "North American Desert" is also the term for a large U.S. Level 1 ecoregion (EPA) of the North American Cordillera, in the Deserts and xeric shrublands biome (WWF). The continent's deserts are largely between the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Madre Oriental on the east, and the rain shadow - creating Sierra Nevada, Transverse, and Peninsular Ranges on the west . The North American xeric region of over 95,751 sq mi (247,990 km) includes: three major deserts; numerous smaller deserts; and large non-desert arid regions; in the western United States and in northeast, central, and northwest Mexico . </P> <P> There are three major hot and dry deserts in North America, all located in the Western United States and Northern Mexico . These are: </P> <Ul> <Li> The Chihuahuan Desert--the largest desert in North America, located in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico - (140,000 square miles (360,000 km)) </Li> <Li> The Sonoran Desert--a desert located in the Southwestern United States and northwest Mexico . It is the second largest desert in North America . - (120,000 square miles (310,000 km)) </Li> <Li> The Mojave Desert--the hottest desert in North America, located primarily in southeastern California - (22,000 square miles (57,000 km)) </Li> </Ul>

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