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]Nation(s)
1Antarctic DesertPolar ice and tundra14,200,000,000,000,000 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 5,366,820Eastern Europe
Northern America
Northern Asia
Northern Europe		Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Jan Mayen, Norway, Russia, Svalbard, Sweden, and the United States
3Sahara DesertSubtropical09,200,000 9,200,000[1]03,552,140 3,552,140Eastern Africa
Middle Africa
Northern Africa
Western Africa		Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, the Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara
4Great AustralianSubtropical02,700,000 2,700,00001,042,476 1,042,476AustraliaAustralia
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]00,175,000 175,000Northern AmericaMexico and the United States
12Karakum DesertCold winter00,350,000 350,000[4]00,135,136 135,136Central AsiaTurkmenistan
–Great Victoria[note 2]Subtropical00,348,750 348,750[1]00,134,653 134,653Western Australia, South AustraliaAustralia
13Colorado PlateauCold winter00,337,000 337,000[4]00,130,116 130,116Northern AmericaUnited States
14Sonoran DesertSubtropical00,310,000 310,000[4]00,119,692 119,692Central America
Northern America		Mexico and the United States
15Kyzylkum DesertCold winter00,300,000 300,000[4]00,115,831 115,831Central AsiaKazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
16Taklamakan DesertCold winter00,270,000 270,00000,104,248 104,248Eastern AsiaChina
17Ogaden DesertSubtropical00,256,000 256,00000,098,842 98,842Eastern AfricaEthiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland
18Thar DesertSubtropical238,254 [5]00,077,220 77,220Southern AsiaIndia and Pakistan
20 Puntland DesertSubtropical00,200,000 200,00000,077,220 77,220Eastern AfricaSomalia
20Ustyurt PlateauTemperate00,200,000 200,00000,077,220 77,220Central AsiaKazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
21Guban DesertSubtropical00,175,000 175,00000,067,568 67,568Eastern AfricaSomalia/Somaliland
22Namib DesertCool coastal00,160,000 160,00000,061,776 61,776Middle Africa
Southern Africa		Angola, Namibia, and South Africa
23Dasht-e MargoSubtropical 00,150,000 150,00000,057,915 57,915Southern AsiaAfghanistan
24Registan DesertSubtropicalThe shifting dunes of the Northern Registan Desert 00,146,000 146,00000,056,371 56,371Southern AsiaAfghanistan
25Atacama DesertMild coastal00,140,000 140,000[4]00,054,054 54,054South AmericaChile and Peru
26Danakil DesertSubtropical00,137,000 137,00000,052,896 52,896Eastern AfricaDjibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia
27Mojave DesertSubtropical00,124,000 124,000[6][7]00,047,877 47,877Northern AmericaUnited States
28Chalbi DesertSubtropical00,100,000 100,00000,038,610 38,610Eastern AfricaKenya
29Columbia BasinCold winter00,083,139 83,139[4]00,032,100 32,100Northern AmericaCanada and the United States
30Dasht-e KavirSubtropical00,077,000 77,000[8]00,029,730 29,730Southern AsiaIran
31Ferlo DesertSubtropical00,070,000 70,00000,027,027 27,027Western AfricaSenegal
32Ladakh Desert[9]Cold winter00,059,146 59,14600,022,836 22,836Southern AsiaIndia
33Dasht-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 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. 24 May 2023.
  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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