What is the primary difference between the Western Desert and the Eastern Desert (Arabian Desert) of Egypt?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. The Western Desert features expansive sand seas and oases

  1. Step 1: The Western Desert (part of the Libyan Desert, covering two-thirds of Egypt) consists of sedimentary plateaus, vast sand dunes (Great Sand Sea), and low depressions housing oases.
  2. Step 2: In contrast, the Eastern Desert (Arabian Desert) is a mountainous dissected plateau composed of igneous and metamorphic basement rocks (Red Sea Hills) devoid of natural oases.
Answer
The Western Desert is characterized by expansive sand seas and oases, while the Eastern Desert features rugged mountainous terrain.
Why not the others: The options saying the Western Desert has rugged granite mountains while the Eastern Desert is flat sand, and that the Eastern Desert contains five major populated oases, reverse the topography and oasis distribution; the option saying the Western Desert is smaller than the Eastern Desert is false, as the Western Desert comprises about 68% of Egypt's territory.

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