gurun

Gurun is the Malay and Indonesian word for desert. It denotes an arid or near-arid landscape characterized by very low rainfall, high evaporation, and sparse vegetation. Deserts occur in various parts of the world and can be hot, with extreme daytime heat, or cold, with freezing temperatures at night. Common features include low and irregular precipitation, great temperature variation, and soils that are often sandy or rocky. Plants and animals in gurun environments have adaptations to conserve water and survive harsh conditions, such as water storage, deep or widespread root systems, nocturnal activity, and specialized physiology.

In practice, gurun also appears in Malay-language contexts as part of place names or descriptive imagery. Some locations named Gurun may not be true deserts; the name can reflect historical associations, local geography, or linguistic heritage rather than current climate. The term is widely used in education and science to discuss desert climates, ecological adaptations, and processes like desertification. While the word conveys the concept of a desert, readers should distinguish between linguistic or cultural usage and the actual geographic and climatic characteristics that define a desert biome.