expression, noun
barren land; sterile soil; wasteland
Refers to land that cannot support vegetation or agriculture, often used literally but also metaphorically for unproductive efforts or areas.
この不毛の地では作物は育たない。
Crops won't grow on this barren land.
かつては不毛の地だったが、今は緑豊かな農地になった。
It was once a wasteland, but now it has become lush farmland.
砂漠 specifically means desert, a type of barren land characterized by sand and extreme dryness.
不毛 (barren, unproductive) + の (possessive particle) + 地 (land). 不毛 is a Sino-Japanese compound meaning 'without hair/vegetation', extended to 'unproductive'.