Why do most science classrooms use similar black-covered desks? Why is it that most science classroom desks seem to be built out of wood, but have the desk area covered in some black material? I'm talking about desks like this:

http://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/ab3174c201c9cc49_4-9532/midcentury-desks-and-hutches.jpg

To "prove" its pervasiveness, I Googled "science classroom desk", and the image results have quite a few of these types of desks:


Without knowing an answer to the basic question, it's hard to flesh out my other questions, but here's a basic list:


Is that black material inert in some way, so as to not react to any of the chemicals a student might use in class? Is it just easy to clean?
Why the standardization? I've seen these desks in public and private schools in a number of different states in the US
Is this US-specific? Do other countries have their own standard desks?


(Note: I'm not sure that this is the correct StackExchange website to post this on, so I'm open to suggestions. It seemed to be the closest fit to education/school. There are some sites for specific scientific disciplines, but I thought someone in academia in general might know an answer)
I found an article that explains the reason quite clearly: the black top is a resin laminate that is chemical and stain resistant.  

Not all bench-tops are black: there are alternate materials that are white or metallic. Presumably those substances have different resistances for different purposes; for example, some of the white benches I saw while searching were anti-static materials for electronics work.  For anything with biological and chemical substances, however, it seems that the black resin laminates are often the preferred material.