The
Yuma Desert is a lower-elevation section of the
Sonoran Desert in the
southwestern United States and the northwest of
Mexico. It lies in the
Salton basin. The desert contains areas of sparse vegetation and has notable areas of
sand dunes. With an average rainfall less than each year, this is among the harshest deserts in North America. Human presence is sparse throughout, the largest city being
Yuma, Arizona, on the Colorado River and the border of
California.