As a result, the wind becomes dry as it reaches the land and this causes the formation of coastal deserts. Because of this process, coastal deserts are frequently very foggy, chilly, relatively humid, and contain very little plant life. Two coastal deserts are the Atacama-Peruvian Desert of South America and the Namib Desert of Africa. Continental deserts , or interior deserts, are located in the mid-latitude region between 30 degrees and 50 degrees north or south. These deserts are very far inland away from the sea.
Winds pick up moisture as they blow across the ocean and release their moisture over the land.
By the time the winds have reached the deserts, which lie all the way in the middle of the land, the air is already dry because the remaining moisture has already been released. As a result, the dryest part of the continent is usually the center. Also, continental deserts usually have a wide range of annual temperatures. One example of a continental desert is the Gobi Desert in central Asia. The rain shadow deserts are located on the side of mountains, and are often also referred to as mountain side deserts.