Namaqualand, South Africa

Namaqualand in South Africa is known as the "gem of the Northern Cape." Portions of this area were turned into a national park in 1999 to preserve the abundant wildlife and brilliant wildflowers native to the area.

This image was taken on 8/23/2000.

Namib Desert, Namibia, Africa

Namib-Naukluft National Park is a nature preserve in Namibia's vast Namib Desert. Winds from the coast create the tallest sand dunes in the world here, with some dunes reaching 300 meters (980 feet) tall. In this image, the sand is orange and the dry riverbed is gray.

This image was taken on 8/12/2000.

Edrengiyn Nuruu, Mongolia

The Edrengiyn Nuruu forms a transition zone between the Mongolian plains to the north and the very dry deserts of northern China to the south.

This image was taken on 8/13/1999.