how did places like Saratoga Springs, Montauk Long Island, Lake Erie and Seneca falls get their names?

Look up Seneca, Erie, Montauk and Saratoga ....on Google.

which deserts are in the western hemisphere

Antarctic

Atacama
Death Valley

Check these sites for more deserts.

http://www.nps.gov/archive/moja/mojadena.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deserts

To understand how places like Saratoga Springs, Montauk Long Island, Lake Erie, and Seneca Falls got their names, we can look into the origins and histories of these locations:

1. Saratoga Springs: Saratoga Springs, located in upstate New York, gained its name from the mineral springs found in the area. The name "Saratoga" is believed to be derived from the Native American word "sah-rah-ka," meaning "place of swift water" or "place of the hillside" in the Mohawk language.

2. Montauk Long Island: Montauk is a village situated at the easternmost point of Long Island, New York. The name "Montauk" is derived from Montaukett, the name of the Native American tribe that inhabited the area. "Montauk" translates to "hilly country" in the Montaukett language.

3. Lake Erie: Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes in North America, has its name derived from the Erie tribe of Native Americans who historically inhabited the southern shore. The name "Erie" possibly originates from the Huron word meaning "long tail" because the lake's shape resembles a long-tailed animal.

4. Seneca Falls: Seneca Falls is a town located in New York state, known for its historical significance in the women's suffrage movement. The name "Seneca" is a tribute to the Seneca Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy. The name "Falls" comes from the waterfalls on the nearby Seneca River.

To find more detailed information about the specific history and origins of these names, you can consult various historical sources, local archives, or specific studies on each location's history and indigenous cultures.