Öknar

Öknar is the plural form of the Swedish noun öken, meaning deserts. The definite singular is öknen, and the definite plural is öknarna. The term is used in geography, science, and general writing to refer to arid regions with very low precipitation and sparse vegetation. Deserts occur on every continent and cover a substantial portion of the Earth's land surface, though the exact extent depends on the criteria used to define a desert.

Climate and ecology in öknar are typically characterized by low annual rainfall, high evaporation, and large diurnal temperature ranges. Deserts can be hot, such as the Sahara and the Arabian Desert, or cold, such as the Gobi or the Antarctic desert. Life in these regions is adapted to dryness, with drought-tolerant plants, deep-rooted or succulent species, and animals that are nocturnal, burrowing, or capable of withstanding extreme water scarcity.

Human activity in öknar ranges from traditional nomadic herding and oasis-based settlements to mining, mineral extraction, and increasingly solar energy development or eco-tourism. The concept of a desert is also used metaphorically in Swedish to describe barren or empty landscapes or situations with little abundance.

In Swedish usage, öknar appears as the general term for deserts in encyclopedic and descriptive contexts. When referring to specific deserts identified earlier in a text, the definite plural öknarna is used.