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).
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).
| Rank | Name | Type | Image | Area (km2) | Area (sq mi) | Location | Nation(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antarctic Desert | Polar ice and tundra | 14,200,000,000,000,000 14,200,000 | 05,482,651 5,482,651 | Antarctica | N/A | |
| 2 | Arctic Desert | Polar ice and tundra | 13,900,000 13,900,000 | 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 | 03,552,140 3,552,140 | Eastern Africa Middle Africa Northern Africa Western Africa | Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara | |
| 4 | Arabian Desert | Subtropical | 02,330,000 2,330,000 | 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 | 00,529,346 529,346 | Australasia | Australia | |
| 6 | Gobi Desert | Cold winter | 01,295,000 1,295,000 | 00,500,002 500,002 | Eastern Asia | China and Mongolia | |
| 7 | Kalahari Desert | Subtropical | 00,900,000 900,000 | 00,347,492 347,492 | Southern Africa | Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa | |
| 8 | Patagonian Desert | Oceanic | 00,673,000 673,000 | 00,259,847 259,847 | South America | Argentina and Chile | |
| 9 | Syrian Desert | Subtropical | 00,500,000 500,000 | 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 | 00,190,000 190,000 | Northern America | United States (Nevada, Utah, California and Idaho) | |
| 11 | Chihuahuan Desert | Subtropical | 00,453,248 453,248 | 00,175,000 175,000 | Central America Northern America | Mexico and the United States | |
| 12 | Karakum Desert | Cold winter | 00,350,000 350,000 | 00,135,136 135,136 | Central Asia | Turkmenistan | |
| – | Great Victoria Desert | Subtropical | 00,348,750 348,750 | 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 | 00,130,116 130,116 | Northern America | United States | |
| 15 | Sonoran Desert | Subtropical | 00,310,000 310,000 | 00,119,692 119,692 | Central America Northern America | Mexico and the United States | |
| 16 | Kyzylkum Desert | Cold winter | 00,300,000 300,000 | 00,115,831 115,831 | Central Asia | Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan | |
| 17 | Ogaden Desert | Tropical | 00,256,000 256,000 | 00,098,842 98,842 | Eastern Africa | Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland | |
| 18 | Thar Desert | Subtropical | 238,254 | 00,077,220 77,220 | Southern Asia | India and Pakistan | |
| 19 | Puntland Desert | Tropical | 00,200,000 200,000 | 00,077,220 77,220 | Eastern Africa | Somalia | |
| 20 | Ustyurt Plateau | Cold winter | 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 | 00,146,000 146,000 | 00,056,371 56,371 | Southern Asia | Afghanistan | |
| 25 | Atacama Desert | Mild coastal | 00,140,000 140,000 | 00,054,054 54,054 | South America | Chile and Peru | |
| 26 | Danakil Desert | Tropical | 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 | 00,047,877 47,877 | Northern America | United States | |
| 28 | Chalbi Desert | Tropical | 00,100,000 100,000 | 00,038,610 38,610 | Eastern Africa | Kenya | |
| 29 | Columbia Basin | Cold winter | 00,083,139 83,139 | 00,032,100 32,100 | Northern America | Canada and the United States | |
| 30 | Kavir Desert | Subtropical | 00,077,000 77,000 | 00,029,730 29,730 | Southern Asia | Iran | |
| 31 | Ferlo Desert | Tropical bordering on Subtropical | 00,070,000 70,000 | 00,027,027 27,027 | Western Africa | Senegal | |
| 32 | Ladakh Desert | Cold winter | 00,059,146 59,146 | 00,022,836 22,836 | Southern Asia | India | |
| 33 | Lut Desert | Subtropical | 00,052,000 52,000 | 00,020,077 20,077 | Southern Asia | Iran | |
