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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
Rank Name Type Image Area
(km2)		 Area
(sq mi)		 Location[note 1] Nation(s)
1 Antarctic Desert Polar ice and tundra 14,200,000,000,000,000 14,200,000[1] 05,482,651 5,482,651 Antarctica N/A
2 Arctic Desert Polar ice and tundra 13,900,000 13,900,000[1] 05,366,820 5,366,820 Eastern Europe
Northern America
Northern Asia
Northern Europe		 United States (Alaska), Canada (Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories), Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway (Svalbard and Jan Mayen), Russia (Siberia), and Sweden
3 Saharan Desert Subtropical 09,200,000 9,200,000[1] 03,552,140 3,552,140 Eastern Africa
Middle Africa
Northern Africa
Western Africa		 Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, the Niger, the Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara
4 Arabian Desert Subtropical 02,330,000 2,330,000[2] 00,899,618 899,618 Middle East Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Israel, Palestine and Yemen
5 Great Australian Desert Subtropical 01,371,000 1,371,000[3] 00,529,346 529,346 Australasia Australia
6 Gobi Desert Cold winter 01,295,000 1,295,000[1] 00,500,002 500,002 Eastern Asia China and Mongolia
7 Kalahari Desert Subtropical 00,900,000 900,000[4] 00,347,492 347,492 Southern Africa Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa
8 Patagonian Desert Cold winter 00,673,000 673,000[1] 00,259,847 259,847 South America Argentina and Chile
9 Syrian Desert Subtropical 00,500,000 500,000[5] 00,193,051 193,051 Western Asia Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Syria
10 Great Basin Desert Cold winter 00,492,098 492,098[5] 00,190,000 190,000 Northern America Nevada, Utah, California and Idaho (United States)
11 Chihuahuan Desert Subtropical 00,453,248 453,248[5] 00,175,000 175,000 Central America
Northern America		 Mexico and the United States
12 Karakum Desert Cold winter 00,350,000 350,000[5] 00,135,136 135,136 Central Asia Turkmenistan
– Great Victoria Desert[note 2] Subtropical 00,348,750 348,750[1] 00,134,653 134,653 Australasia Australia
13 Taklamakan Desert Cold winter 00,270,000 337,000 00,104,248 130,191 Eastern Asia China
14 Colorado Plateau Cold winter 00,337,000 336,700[5] 00,130,116 130,116 Northern America United States
15 Sonoran Desert Subtropical 00,310,000 310,000[5] 00,119,692 119,692 Central America
Northern America		 Mexico and the United States
16 Kyzylkum Desert Cold winter 00,300,000 300,000[5] 00,115,831 115,831 Central Asia Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
17 Ogaden Desert Subtropical 00,256,000 256,000 00,098,842 98,842 Eastern Africa Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland
18 Thar Desert Subtropical 238,254[6] 00,077,220 77,220 Southern Asia India and Pakistan
19 Puntland Desert Subtropical 00,200,000 200,000 00,077,220 77,220 Eastern Africa Somalia
20 Ustyurt Plateau Temperate 00,200,000 200,000 00,077,220 77,220 Central Asia Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
21 Guban Desert Subtropical 00,175,000 175,000 00,067,568 67,568 Eastern Africa Somalia/Somaliland
22 Namib Desert Cool coastal 00,160,000 160,000 00,061,776 61,776 Middle Africa
Southern Africa		 Angola, Namibia, and South Africa
23 Margo Desert Subtropical 00,150,000 150,000 00,057,915 57,915 Southern Asia Afghanistan
24 Registan Desert Subtropical The shifting dunes of the Northern Registan Desert 00,146,000 146,000 00,056,371 56,371 Southern Asia Afghanistan
25 Atacama Desert Mild coastal 00,140,000 140,000[5] 00,054,054 54,054 South America Chile and Peru
26 Danakil Desert Subtropical 00,137,000 137,000 00,052,896 52,896 Eastern Africa Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia
27 Mojave Desert Subtropical 00,124,000 124,000[7][8] 00,047,877 47,877 Northern America United States
28 Chalbi Desert Subtropical 00,100,000 100,000 00,038,610 38,610 Eastern Africa Kenya
29 Columbia Basin Cold winter 00,083,139 83,139[5] 00,032,100 32,100 Northern America Canada and the United States
30 Kavir Desert Subtropical 00,077,000 77,000[9] 00,029,730 29,730 Southern Asia Iran
31 Ferlo Desert Subtropical 00,070,000 70,000 00,027,027 27,027 Western Africa Senegal
32 Ladakh Desert[10] Cold winter 00,059,146 59,146 00,022,836 22,836 Southern Asia India
33 Lut Desert Subtropical 00,052,000 52,000[9] 00,020,077 20,077 Southern Asia Iran


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Top ten largest (non-polar) deserts". Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  2. ^ "Arabian Desert". Archived from the original on 2007-12-31. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  3. ^ Areas of Australian and territory deserts by Geoscience Australia
  4. ^ Bass, Karen (2009-02-01). "Nature's Great Events:The Okavango Delta, Kalahari Desert" (PDF). press.uchicago.edu. University of Chicago Press. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Largest Desert in the World". Archived from the original on 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  6. ^ "Thar Desert | Map, Climate, Vegetation, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. 24 May 2023. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Mapping Perennial Vegetation Cover in the Mojave Desert" (PDF). pubs.usgs.gov. USGS Western Geographic Science Center. 2011-06-01. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ a b 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.
  10. ^ "The Cold Desert – Ladakh". 6 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2021-10-17.

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