List of deserts by area

This is a list of the largest deserts in the world by area. It includes all deserts above 50,000 km2 (19,300 sq mi).

Some of Earth's biggest non-polar deserts
RankNameTypeImageArea
(km2)		Area
(sq mi)		Location[note 1]Countries
1Antarctic DesertPolar ice and tundra14,200,000 14,200,000[1]05,482,651 5,482,651AntarcticaN/A
2Arctic DesertPolar ice and tundra13,900,000 13,900,000[1]05,366,820 5,366,820Northern America
Northern Asia
Northern Europe		Alaska, Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Jan Mayen, Norway, Russia, Svalbard, and Sweden
3Sahara DesertSubtropical09,200,000 9,200,000[1]03,552,140 3,552,140Northern AfricaAlgeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, the Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara
–Russian Arctic[note 2]Polar ice and tundra05,500,000 5,500,00002,123,562 2,123,562Northern AsiaRussia
4Great AustralianSubtropical02,700,000 2,700,00001,042,476 1,042,476AustralasiaAustralia
5Arabian DesertSubtropical02,330,000 2,330,000[2]00,899,618 899,618Western AsiaIraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
6Gobi DesertCold winter01,295,000 1,295,000[1]00,500,002 500,002Eastern AsiaChina and Mongolia
7Kalahari DesertSubtropical00,900,000 900,000[3]00,347,492 347,492Southern AfricaBotswana, Namibia, and South Africa
8Patagonian DesertCold winter00,673,000 673,000[1]00,259,847 259,847South AmericaArgentina
9Syrian DesertSubtropical00,500,000 500,000[4]00,193,051 193,051Western AsiaIraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria
10Great BasinCold winter00,492,098 492,098[4]00,190,000 190,000Northern AmericaUnited States
11Chihuahuan DesertSubtropical00,453,248 453,248[4]00,175,000 175,000North AmericaMexico and the United States
12Karakum DesertCold winter00,350,000 350,000[4]00,135,136 135,136Central AsiaTurkmenistan
13Great Victoria[note 3]Subtropical00,348,750 348,750[1]00,134,653 134,653AustralasiaAustralia
14Colorado PlateauCold winter00,337,000 337,000[4]00,130,116 130,116Northern AmericaUnited States
15Sonoran DesertSubtropical00,310,000 310,000[4]00,119,692 119,692Northern AmericaMexico and the United States
16Kyzylkum DesertCold winter00,300,000 300,000[4]00,115,831 115,831Central AsiaKazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
17Taklamakan DesertCold winter00,270,000 270,00000,104,248 104,248Eastern AsiaChina
18Ogaden DesertSubtropical00,256,000 256,00000,098,842 98,842Eastern AfricaEthiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland 19 18Puntland DesertSubtropical00,200,000 200,00000,077,220 77,220Eastern AfricaSomalia 20 Thar DesertSubtropical00,200,000 200,000[5]00,077,220 77,220Southern AsiaIndia and Pakistan 21 Ustyurt PlateauTemperate00,200,000 200,00000,077,220 77,220Central AsiaKazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
22Guban DesertSubtropical00,175,000 175,00000,067,568 67,568Eastern AfricaSomalia/Somaliland
23Namib DesertCool coastal00,160,000 160,00000,061,776 61,776Southern AfricaAngola, Namibia, and South Africa
24Dasht-e MargoSubtropical 00,150,000 150,00000,057,915 57,915Southern AsiaAfghanistan
25Registan DesertSubtropical 00,146,000 146,00000,056,371 56,371Southern AsiaAfghanistan
26Atacama DesertMild coastal00,140,000 140,000[4]00,054,054 54,054South AmericaChile and Peru
27Danakil DesertSubtropical00,137,000 137,00000,052,896 52,896Eastern AfricaDjibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia
28Mojave DesertSubtropical00,124,000 124,000[6][7]00,047,877 47,877Northern AmericaUnited States
29Chalbi DesertSubtropical00,100,000 100,00000,038,610 38,610Eastern AfricaKenya
30Columbia BasinCold winter00,083,139 83,139[4]00,032,100 32,100Northern AmericaUnited States
31Dasht-e KavirSubtropical00,077,000 77,000[8]00,029,730 29,730Southern AsiaIran
32Ferlo DesertSubtropical00,070,000 70,00000,027,027 27,027Western AfricaSenegal
33Ladakh Desert[9]Cold winter00,059,146 59,14600,022,836 22,836Southern AsiaIndia
34Dasht-e LutSubtropical00,052,000 52,000[8]00,020,077 20,077Southern AsiaIran

Notes
  1. As per the United Nations geoscheme.
  2. A part of the Arctic Desert.
  3. A part of the Great Australian Desert.

See also

References
  1. "Top ten largest (non-polar) deserts". Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  2. "Arabian Desert". Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  3. Bass, Karen (2009-02-01). "Nature's Great Events:The Okavango Delta, Kalahari Desert" (PDF). press.uchicago.edu. University of Chicago Press. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
  4. "Largest Desert in the World". Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  5. "Thar Desert | Map, Climate, Vegetation, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica.
  6. "Mapping Perennial Vegetation Cover in the Mojave Desert" (PDF). pubs.usgs.gov. USGS Western Geographic Science Center. 2011-06-01. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  7. "Recoverability and Vulnerability of Desert Ecosystems". mojave.usgs.gov. USGS. 2006-03-03. Archived from the original on 2012-05-01. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  8. Wright, John W., ed. (2006). The New York Times Almanac (2007 ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books. p. 456. ISBN 0-14-303820-6.
  9. The Cold Desert – Ladakh
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