The desert emoji 🏜️ depicts an arid landscape with sand dunes and often a cactus, representing desert environments. It shows the characteristic sandy terrain and sparse vegetation of desert regions.

This emoji is used to represent deserts, dry climates, extreme heat, or barren landscapes. It can also symbolize emptiness, isolation, drought, or challenging conditions. It's popular when discussing desert travel, southwestern landscapes, or metaphorically describing "dry" situations.